81349 


The  VANISHING  FLEETS 


The  General  .  .  .  shook  a  clenched  fist  under  the  Admiral's 
very  nose." 

[Page  41.] 


The 
VANISHING  FLEETS 

By  Boy  Norton 


ILLUSTRATED 


New  YorK 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 
1908 


COPYRIGHT,  1908,  BY 
D.   APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1907,  BY 
THE  ASSOCIATED  SUNDAY  MAGAZINES 


Published  January,  1908 


AJ887 


TO 
MY    MOTHER 


M832915 


NOTE 

THIS  book  makes  no  attempt  to  convey  a 
lesson.  It  does,  however,  try  to  give  a  note  of 
warning.  National  patriotism,  national  wealth, 
and  national  resources  would  all  prove  unavailing 
if  the  United  States  were  suddenly  confronted  by 
a  determined  enemy  with  a  preponderance  of  guns 
manned  by  veterans.  The  writer  frankly  admits 
he  has  no  sympathy  with  those  "  watchdogs  of  the 
treasury  "  who  decry  naval  expenditures  and  the 
persistent  increase  of  the  navy.  He  does  not  be- 
lieve the  navy  adequate  for  the  protection  of  the 
nation,  nor  does  he  think  the  army  sufficient.  He 
believes  Governmental  economies  along  other 
lines  would  enable  the  nation  to  bring  its  defense 
up  to  an  invincible  point  without  working  any  ma- 
terial hardship  on  the  gentlemen  of  the  trusts  who 
loudly  claim  to  pay  nearly  all  the  taxes. 

Some  argument  has  taken  place  in  the  press 
regarding  the  possibility  of  such  a  discovery  as  is 
brought  out  in  the  "  radioplanes."  For  the  benefit 
of  the  reader  the  author  wishes  to  say  that  its 
scientific  possibilities  are  endorsed  by  some  of  the 

vii 


NOTE 

best  known  inventors  in  the  world,  and  notably 
by  one  of  the  greatest,  no  less  a  personage  than 
Hudson  Maxim,  the  most  eminent  authority  living 
on  high  explosives  and  the  most  daring  investi- 
gator of  kindred  sciences.  And  to  him  the  author 
wishes  to  hereby  make  acknowledgment,  not  only 
for  his  scientific  suggestions  but  for  kindly  encour- 
agement, friendly  advice  and  unremitting  patience. 
To  him  is  due  credit  for  much  of  that  which  is 
worth  reading  in  this  book. 

ROY  NORTON. 

CHICAGO,  November,  1907. 


CONTENTS 


PART  ONE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — A  SLEEPING  NATION 3 

II. — THE  SWORD  or  THE  SAMURAI        .       .       .  19 

III.— WHEN  THE  FLAG  CAME  DOWN       .       .       .  31 

IV. — THE  HARNESS  OF  WAR 43 

V. — IN  SECRET  PATHS       .       .       ...       .  55 

VI. — THE  FLIGHT  OF  SEIGO 69 

VII. — THE  MISSING  FLEET         .       .       -       -       -  83 

VIII. — THE  LONE  VOYAGER 97 

IX. — BARRED  BY  BAYONETS      .       *      .       .       .  109 
X. — AN  EMPEROR  DISAPPEARS        .       .       .       .122 

XI. — A  KING  is  LOST 135 

XII. — THE  DREADNOUGHT  RETURNS        .       .       .  153 

PART  TWO 

I. — IN  THE  BEGINNING 167 

II. — THE  BIRTH  OF  A  CITY 184 

III. — THE  GREAT  DISCOVERY 199 

IV. — AN  INVINCIBLE  ARM 216 

ix 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER 

V. — To  MEET  THE  ENEMY 232 

VI.— THE  BATTLE 247 

VII.— THE  EAGLE'S  FLIGHT 265 

VIII. — WHAT  BEFELL  THE  EMPEROR  .       .      V      .  280 

IX.— His  MAJESTY'S  VISIT        .       .       .       .      .  297 

X. — LIGHTS  IN  THE  NIGHT      .       .       -       •       -3*7 

XL— PEACE  is  DECLARED  .       .       ,       .       .      .  331 

XII.— THE  LAST  CRUISE     .       .       .    •  .       *       -  343 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


"The  General  .  .  .  shook  a  clenched  fist  under  the 
Admiral's  very  nose"        .       .       .       Frontispiece 

"He  brought  news  of  strange  and  unusual  purchases"    60 

"Slowly  and  in  silence  he  chalked  ...  in  big  white 

letters,  N-O-R-M-A" 236 

"The  soldierly  form  of  the  Kaiser  appeared"   .       .  326 


PART   ONE 


CHAPTER    I 

A    SLEEPING    NATION 

PATHETIC  and  unprepared,  the 
country  stood  on  the  verge  of  war. 
The  wheels  of  many  closing  fac- 
tories had  droned  a  final  protest, 
idleness  was  spreading,  and  throughout  the  land 
the  subject  of  the  impending  conflict  was  gravely 
discussed.  Distinguished  orators  in  great  cities 
predicted  dire  losses  in  prestige  and  honor,  and 
every  hamlet  had  its  prophet  of  woe.  The  na- 
tion's position  as  a  first  class  Power,  even  its  very 
integrity,  seemed  at  stake. 

And  in  all  this  ominous  unrest,  this  clamor  for 
action,  the  administration  at  Washington  sat  un- 
moved, smiling  what  seemed  to  the  country  and 
the  world  at  large  a  fatuous  smile  of  compla- 
cency. It  was  then  endeavoring,  as  in  previous 
crises,  through  the  use  of  high  sounding  words, 
to  avert  an  actual  clash  at  arms.  Not  many  of 
these  messages  of  diplomacy  were  made  public, 
but  such  as  did  reach  those  who  read  sounded 
hollow  as  tinkling  brass  and  did  nothing  either 
to  define  the  attitude  of  the  United  States  or  to 

3 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

clear  away  the  points  at  issue.  They  were  of  the 
month  of  May,  and  seemed  of  May  madness. 

For  some  years  there  had  been  mooted  ques- 
tions between  Japan  and  the  great  American  Re- 
public, due  in  the  first  instance  to  troubles  of  a 
purely  racial  character.  The  Pacific  coast,  which 
for  many  decades  had  been  compelled  by  its  geo- 
graphical situation  to  face  an  economic  invasion 
from  the  Orient,  wanted  none  of  the  small  men 
from  across  the  water.  It  referred  caustically  to 
past  experiences  with  Chinese,  and  emphatically 
rebelled  against  the  more  aggressive  but  no  less 
objectionable  Japanese.  It  had  been  overruled  by 
the  people  at  large,  until  the  whole  country, 
awakening  from  its  lethargic  state,  became  edu- 
cated in  questions  of  immigration,  to  learn  too 
late  that  the  Calif ornians  had  just  cause  for 
grievance. 

Other  complications  followed.  Japan  by  ex- 
ample and  precept  rejuvenated  the  sleeping  giant 
which  spoke  her  sister  tongue  and  had  with  her 
an  offensive  and  defensive  alliance  that  could  be 
invoked  in  time  of  need,  and  by  further  adroit 
policy  maintained  a  similar  compact  with  Great 
Britain.  She  waxed  prosperous,  demanding  trade 
concessions  where  once  she  had  begged  them. 
Nor  had  she  neglected  the  perfecting  of  her  navy, 
which  from  the  time  of  her  war  with  Russia  had 
been  one  of  the  most  capable.  Now  it  equaled 

4 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

in  size  and  probably  excelled  in  fighting  efficiency 
that  of  the  United  States. 

In  the  Philippines  the  racial  war  came  to  such 
an  acute  stage  that  Japan  demanded  immediate 
adjustment,  although  following  the  same  diplo- 
matic methods  which  characterized  her  career  as 
an  advanced  nation, — pitifully  pleading  to  the 
world  at  large  that  she  was  a  small  Power  whose 
only  wish  was  for  peace;  invoking  sympathy  on 
the  one  hand,  and  preparing  to  strike  before  hos- 
tilities were  anticipated  on  the  other. 

Some  of  the  ancients  of  newspaperdom  recalled 
that  she  had  adopted  these  tactics  with  Russia, 
lulling  the  lethargic  bear  into  a  condition  of 
hebetudal  security,  and  then  without  warning 
swooping  down  and  delivering  the  first  and  most 
effective  blow.  That  history  was  to  repeat  itself 
was  asserted  so  frequently  that  even  the  most  con- 
servative journals  partisan  to  the  core  and  avow- 
edly for  the  administration,  began  to  hint  in  mild 
terms  that  it  was  a  time  for  action.  The  country 
looked  to  Washington;  and  Washington  merely 
smiled  and  gave  out  interviews  that  "  in  the  opin- 
ion of  the  administration  there  will  be  no  war." 

And  in  the  midst  of  all  this  turmoil  of  mind  and 
passiveness  of  accomplishment,  Guy  Hillier,  sec- 
retary of  the  British  Embassy  in  Washington, 
found  other  and  more  personal  annoyances.  The 
particular  vexation  was  a  woman's  perversity. 

*  5 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

He  brooded  over  his  love  affair  more  than  the 
welfare  of  nations,  as  he  stood  in  the  great  rail- 
way station  of  the  Capital  on  this  night,  watching 
for  the  arrival  of  the  Florida  special  which  was  to 
bring  to  him  Norma  Roberts,  after  an  absence  of 
nearly  a  month.  His  hands  were  thrust  into  his 
pockets,  his  hat  was  drawn  to  an  aggressive  angle 
over  his  eyes,  and  his  whole  attitude  was  one  of 
obstinacy.  The  arc  lights  above  showed  a  mass 
of  those  waiting,  as  he  waited,  for  the  arrival  of 
friends  and  relatives,  while  here  and  there  trucks 
laden  with  highly  piled  baggage  were  pulled  or 
pushed  by  depot  attendants,  who  seemed  in- 
sistently to  demand  that  he  seek  other  places  of 
standing,  or,  when  he  was  slow  in  obeying, 
shoved  their  cargoes  against  his  legs. 

With  some  bitterness  he  recalled  that  it  was 
not  the  first  time  within  six  months  that  he  had 
loitered  in  this  station.  To  him  it  seemed  that 
since  he  first  had  known  the  girl  he  always  had 
been  waiting  and  longing.  She  had  held  him  in 
thrall  since  the  night  he  met  her  more  than  a 
year  before,  when  half  reluctantly  he  had  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  to  a  reception  given  to  her 
father;  and  yet  in  all  that  aftertime  he  had  been  in 
perpetual  suspense.  The  reception  had  been  much 
like  other  receptions,  and  was  given  in  honor  of 
another  invention  by  "  Old  Bill  Roberts,"  as  he 
styled  himself  and  was  known  to  his  intimates. 

6 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

Guy  had  gone  through  mere  curiosity,  wishing 
to  see  at  short  range  a  man  who  only  a  few  years 
before  had  been  dubbed  a  "  harebrained  crank," 
but  whose  work  had  proved  him  otherwise.  He 
remembered  the  lights  of  the  drawing  room,  the 
throng  of  guests,  and  that  Roberts  had  forgotten 
the  event  and  kept  some  of  the  most  distin- 
guished men  of  the  nation,  including  nearly  every 
member  of  the  Cabinet,  waiting  till  he  could  be 
dragged  from  his  laboratory  at  the  end  of  the 
garden. 

Everyone  had  taken  the  remissness  with  Ameri- 
can good  humor,  laughed  and  chatted  till  a 
search  could  be  made,  and  then  given  way  to  the 
inventor's  entrance,  which  was  not  triumphal.  It 
was  effected  with  something  approaching  a  lack 
of  proprieties.  There  had  been  the  sound  of  a 
high  strung,  snarling  voice  in  protest  from  the 
lower  end  of  the  drawing  room,  which  was  luxu- 
riously furnished  and  presided  over  by  Norma. 
There  had  been  a  moment's  silence,  then  an  ex- 
clamation loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  those  who 
were  curiously  expectant. 

"  Well,  I  couldn't  help  it,"  the  petulant  words 
came.  "  I  got  tired  of  waiting  around,  and 
went  back  to  work.  You  got  me  into  this  mess. 
You  know  I  don't  like  dress  affairs,  and  hate 
dress  suits.  Working  clothes  suit  me  best.  So 
there!" 

7 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Everyone  had  looked  at  one  another  under- 
standingly  and  smiled  when  the  eminent  scientist 
and  inventor  had  been  led  into  the  room.  Guy, 
craning  his  neck  in  a  sudden  desire  to  see  this 
entry,  had  a  confused  picture  of  a  man  with  a 
shock  of  white  hair  and  long  eyebrows,  from  be- 
neath which  glared  eyes  of  great  restlessness,  and 
also  remembered  that  the  dress  suit  which  had 
caused  so  much  worry  was  stained  with  freshly 
spilled  chemicals,  and  that  even  as  he  came  the 
inventor  was  furtively  wiping  a  pair  of  grimy 
hands  on  his  handkerchief.  But  it  was  not  the 
man  nor  the  suppressed  titters  of  laughter  that 
he  recollected  best;  it  was  the  girl  who  escorted 
him. 

She  came  leading  her  father  by  the  arm,  the 
daintiness  of  her  costume  enhanced  by  the  marks 
of  the  workshop  on  his  coat.  She  walked  smil- 
ingly forward,  completely  self  possessed,  with 
head  thrown  back,  and  making  no  apologies. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  conversation  at  the  door, 
overheard  within  the  room,  none  would  have  sup- 
posed that  she  wished  a  more  ceremonious  ap- 
pearance. She  challenged  with  her  eyes  as  she 
passed  her  guests,  and  to  Hillier's  surprise,  bound 
in  conventionality  as  he  always  had  been,  it  sud- 
denly seemed  that  in  all  of  it  there  was  nothing 
inappropriate  nor  incongruous. 

Then  came  that  later  hour  when  he  was  intro- 
8 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

duced  to  the  savant,  and  the  latter  had  looked 
him  squarely  in  the  eyes  and  given  him  a  hand- 
shake that  was  surprisingly  strong.  And  the  girl! 
At  the  first  word  spoken  by  her  his  heart  gave  a 
great  leap,  insistently  demanding  that  he  should 
know  her  better.  It  had  been  easy  to  yield  to 
its  call,  and  he  made  occasion  to  be  as  near  her 
side  throughout  the  evening  as  was  possible.  He 
found  himself  not  far  from  her  when  refreshments 
were  served,  and  close  to  her  father,  who,  refur- 
bished, protested  at  the  praise  given  him.  He 
watched  her  face  when  the  inventor  responded  to 
a  toast  and  ended  by  saying,  "  While  it's  true  I 
have  made  some  discoveries,  the  world  at  large 
fails  to  appreciate  or  won't  believe  that  the  per- 
fection of  all  I  have  done  has  been  achieved  by 
my  assistant,  my  daughter  Norma." 

The  speaker  would  have  gone  further  had  she 
not  interrupted  with  a  laughing  denial;  and  yet 
Guy's  longer  acquaintance  led  him  to  regard  the 
scientist's  statement  as  a  truth.  He  was  to  learn 
later  that  she  always  was  with  her  father,  nearly 
always  inaccessible,  and  sometimes  wrapped  in 
such  thought  that  he  could  scarcely  probe  her 
mind.  The  evening  of  their  meeting  had  ended 
as  do  all  evenings;  but  thenceforth  he  had  sought 
her.  Their  acquaintance  grew  to  a  more  friendly 
basis,  and  went  steadily  forward  until  on  his  part 
at  least  it  culminated  in  love.  Sometimes  he  had 

9 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

the  courage  to  believe  it  returned.  At  other 
times  he  grew  despondent  in  his  assault  on  the 
portals  of  her  heart,  and  feared  that  no  hu- 
man affection  could  drag  her  away  from  those 
crucibles  and  retorts  with  which  she  wrought 
through  the  days  and  nights  in  silent  companion- 
ship with  her  queer  old  sire;  but  now  that  war 
and  separation  threatened,  he  was  resolved  to 
bring  his  siege  to  the  issue  and  gain  an  answer. 

A  long  drawn  whistle  of  increasing  volume  vi- 
brated through  the  dusk;  one  headlight  stared 
more  steadily  than  the  others  which  gleamed 
across  the  network  of  steel  rails  beyond  and  came 
swiftly,  picking  a  trail  to  the  great  arched  shed. 
With  a  final  clanging  of  its  bell,  the  big  locomo- 
tive perspired  past  him,  the  whistling  brakes  gave 
a  harsh  grind,  and  the  train  came  to  a  halt,  while 
the  injectors  of  the  engine  throbbed  and  chugged 
like  those  of  a  racer  almost  spent  but  coming  to 
a  strong  finish. 

Guy  hurried  back  with  quick  impatient  steps  to 
the  Pullman,  where  negroes  dropped  carpeted 
steps,  in  time  to  see  the  one  for  whom  he  waited 
emerge,  calm  and  immaculate  as  usual,  but  with 
such  a  gladness  of  welcome  in  her  eyes  that  he 
could  barely  resist  taking  her  into  his  arms. 
Time  might  drag,  but  it  always  found  her  un- 
changed. In  sudden  awkwardness  he  took  her 
lighter  luggage  and  wrap  and  walked  with  her  to 

10 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

the  exit  of  the  noisy  station,  finding  all  his  care- 
fully formulated  sentences  forgotten,  and  listen- 
ing to  her  rather  than  saying  anything  himself. 

Almost  the  first  question  she  asked  him  was 
of  the  war;  and  at  this  he  felt  a  tinge  of  disap- 
pointment. It  was  too  impersonal  a  topic  for  a 
man  who  had  waited  a  month  for  an  opportunity 
to  speak  of  affection.  He  would  rather  she  gave 
first  thought  to  what  he  had  been  doing,  what 
he  was  going  to  do,  and  what  he  wished  to  do. 
Even  when  they  reached  a  more  quiet  place  away 
from  the  din  of  railway  traffic  and  aside  from  the 
rush  of  outgoing  passengers,  she  turned  toward 
him  with  a  grave  face  and  asked  for  "  the  real 
latest  news." 

"  Do  tell  me,"  she  said,  "  not  what  people  say, 
or  what  the  officials  send  out,  but  the  real  inside 
situation.  Is  there  going  to  be  any  war?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  so/'  he  answered  gloomily.  "  The 
Government  is  still  insisting  that  there  is  not 
much  danger  of  a  clash,  and  backs  up  its  manifes- 
toes by  making  no  preparation  whatever.  There 
has  been  no  attempt  to  mobilize  a  fleet  in  the 
Pacific,  nor  to  assemble  other  vessels  from  for- 
eign ports;  but  our  own  advices  are  that  war  is 
inevitable  and  may  come  at  any  moment." 

She  did  not  respond,  but  seemed  almost  to  have 
forgotten  him  in  her  reverie  and  contemplation 
of  his  words.  Nor  did  she  express  surprise  and 

II 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

interest  when  he  gave  her  a  seat  in  the  brougham 
which  waited  for  them  beside  the  station  gates. 
Not  till  she  heard  him  order  the  driver  to  take 
them  to  a  fashionable  cafe  did  she  return  from  the 
land  of  abstraction  and  become  vivacious  again. 

"  Where  are  you  taking  me? "  she  asked. 
"  Did  I  understand  it  that  we  are  going  to  an  old 
friend?  I'm  half  starved,  and  am  going  to  drop 
all  this  war  subject  for  a  while." 

When  he  told  her  their  destination  she  clapped 
her  hands,  and  showed  her  approval  by  saying, 
"  That's  good.  Do  you  remember  the  little  bal- 
cony overhanging  the  street  where  green  things 
grow  and  we  used  to  sit  last  summer  when  we 
wanted  to  be  alone  and  talk?  May  we  have  the 
balcony  table?  "  His  smiling  assurance  that  he 
remembered  and  that  it  was  to  that  very  spot  he 
was  conducting  her  brought  forth  her  applause 
at  his  selection.  She  leaned  out  to  look  ahead 
as  they  approached  it,  looked  contented  when 
they  alighted  before  it,  and  eagerly  stepped  with- 
in when  the  attendant  swung  open  the  doors. 

They  walked  across  the  carpeted  floors  and  be- 
tween tables  where  others  were  dining,  and  every- 
where as  they  went  she  was  recalled  to  the  sterner 
things  of  life  by  a  conversation  which  had  no 
other  topic  than  war.  Here  and  there  she  recog- 
nized men  occupying  more  or  less  responsible 
positions  in  the  Government,  and  a  few  whose 

12 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

uniforms  proclaimed  them  to  be  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy.  These  latter  seemed  discussing 
the  situation  from  a  more  confidential  viewpoint, 
and  held  their  heads  close  together  now  and  then 
as  if  fearful  that  others  might  overhear  their  whis- 
pered comments. 

"All  criticising  the  Government,"  Guy  mut- 
tered, indicating  one  group  with  a  slight  nod  of 
his  head.  "  They  can't  understand  it  any  more 
than  we  can." 

She  looked  at  him  sharply  as  if  about  to  speak, 
and  then  after  an  instant's  hesitation  closed  her 
half  parted  lips  and  advanced  to  the  seat  she  de- 
sired. A  white  clad  waiter  served  them  and  defer- 
entially brought  a  newspaper  still  wet  from  the 
press. 

"  Thought  you'd  like  to  see  the  latest  extra, 
sir,"  he  explained  as  he  left  them;  and  Hillier  with 
a  look  of  weariness  glanced  at  the  headlines  and 
laid  it  aside. 

"  Same  old  thing,"  he  commented  in  reply  to 
her  look  of  inquiry.  "  *  The  Gazette '  has  just 
learned  that  not  even  coaling  orders  have  been 
issued,  and  this  from  no  less  a  person  than  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  who  has  been  goaded  into 
free  speech  by  the  constant  pricks  of  criticism.  I 
wonder  if  these  people  are  insane?  " 

"  Guy,"  she  retorted,  "  I  don't  think  it  alto- 
gether fair  to  speak  of  the  men  at  the  head  of  the 

13 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Government  as  insane  until  they  have  been 
proved  in  error.  Let's  talk  of  something  else." 

And  he,  worried  and  tired  of  the  topic,  was  glad 
to  lead  into  more  personal  subjects.  He  thought 
of  the  old  inventor  whom  he  had  not  seen  for 
months. 

"  How  is  your  father  now?  "  he  asked.  "  Is  he 
improving  in  health,  and  where  is  he?  " 

For  the  first  time  she  showed  some  embarrass- 
ment. He  watched  her,  and  as  she  hesitated  be- 
fore answering  began  to  wonder  if  there  was  not 
something  concerning  Roberts  which  she  was  en- 
deavoring to  conceal  from  him.  "  Oh,  he  is 
well,  but  very  overworked  and  tired,"  she  replied 
finally. 

"  But  you  haven't  answered  all  my  question," 
he  insisted.  "  You  haven't  told  me  where  he  is." 

She  remained  silent,  toying  with  one  of  the 
rings  upon  her  hand  and  looking  out  through  the 
vines  to  where  the  lights  of  the  city  gleamed 
below  and  stretched  out  into  the  blackness  be- 
yond. 

"  Norm,"  he  said,  leaning  toward  her,  "  is 
there  anything  wrong  with  him?  All  your  letters 
come  from  Miami.  There's  a  sanatorium  there. 
It  can't  be  that  your  father  is — " 

"No — no — no;  it  isn't  that!"  she  replied,  but 
with  a  look  of  such  apprehension  that  he  almost 
doubted  her  for  the  first  time  in  all  their  friend- 

14 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

ship.  "  Father  is  all  right,  only  he  has  worked 
very  hard,  and —  Oh,  please  don't  insist  on  my 
telling  you  any  more!  Believe  me,  I  should  be 
frank  with  you,  of  all  persons  in  the  world,  if  I 
could;  but  I  can't  be — quite." 

Impulsively  he  stretched  his  hands  across  the 
table  and  seized  hers.  The  hum  of  conversation 
had  died  out  in  the  room  back  of  them,  most  of 
the  diners  having  departed.  It  had  grown  so 
quiet  that  they  could  hear  the  strains  of  a  band 
from  one  of  the  parks,  playing  as  gayly  as  if  war 
was  an  unknown  contingency. 

"  Norm,"  he  said  pleadingly,  "  take  me  into 
your  full  confidence!  Tell  me  what  it  is  that 
troubles  you!  Something  does,  I'm  sure.  I  have 
read  it  in  your  letters,  and  in  your  eyes  when  you 
come  to  me.  Let  me  share  it  with  you!  You 
know  I  love  you,  and  a  part  of  love  is  to  share 
each  other's  troubles." 

He  tried  to  hold  her  hands;  but  she  withdrew 
them  tremblingly.  She  turned  her  face  away 
toward  the  lights  of  the  night,  without  looking 
at  him.  For  what  seemed  a  long  time  he  waited. 
"  Oh,  I  wish  you  had  not  said  that  to  me — just 
yet,"  she  answered  at  length.  "  You  make  it 
very  hard  for  both  of  us  now.  I  want  to  be  hon- 
est with  you,  want  to  give  you  my  confidence  and 
my — but  I  can't.  I  can't  tell  you  anything.  You 
must  wait." 

15 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  Listen/'  he  commanded,  again  leaning  toward 
her.  "  There  is  something  which  makes  me 
think  you  love  me.  I  shall  ask  nothing  more  of 
your  father,  or  of  your  plans,  because  I  want  to 
make  you  see  the  position."  He  frowned  at  the 
waiter,  who  came  toward  them  and  then  re- 
treated. "  Norm,"  he  went  on,  "  there  is  to  be 
war.  Your  country  is  unprepared.  It  will  be 
overrun  by  an  enemy  that  is  ruthless  and  that  will 
come  to  conquer.  The  end  may  not  be  defeat; 
but  as  certain  as  death  this  country  will  writhe 
and  suffer  before  it  can  regain  the  ground  it  will 
lose  in  the  outset.  Can't  you  see  that?  Can't 
you  understand  what  it  will  be  for  you  and  your 
father  here  under  such  conditions?  Don't  you 
know  that  for  your  very  safety  you  must  leave? 
As  my  wife,  or  even  my  betrothed,  I  can  make 
the  way  so  much  easier  for  you!  Give  me  the 
right,  dear,  give  me  the  right!  " 

"  It  is  impossible,"  she  replied,  turning  toward 
him  again;  and  he  looked  hurt.  "  It  is  the  very 
danger  of  war  that  makes  it  so.  You  don't  know 
how  much  I  wish  I  could  say  yes  to  you;  but  it's 
impossible.  I  must  be  with  my  father.  I  owe  it 
to  him.  He  can't  go  away,  nor  can  I  leave  him. 
So  until  the  way  is  clear  we  can  be  friends  only, 
and  no  more." 

He  sat  stunned  for  a  moment,  vainly  striving 
to  understand  a  circumstance  or  combination  of 

16 


A     SLEEPING     NATION 

conditions  which  could  have  dictated  such  an  an- 
swer. Then  the  thought  came  that  perhaps  the 
girl  before  him  was  making  a  sacrifice  to  some 
awful  menace,  and  it  could  be  only  one  thing, — 
the  threatened  insanity  of  her  father.  But  what 
had  the  war  to  do  with  that?  Perhaps  she  would 
never  be  more  to  him  if  her  father  went  insane, 
because  then  she  would  say  no  because  of  her 
very  love  for  him,  and  the  fear  for  posterity. 
Their  happiness,  then,  was  to  depend  upon  the 
condition  of  an  old  man's  mind. 

"  Norm,"  he  asked  softly,  "  is  it  insanity?  " 
She  turned  toward  him  in  amazement,  not 
fathoming  his  line  of  reasoning.  "  I  can  tell  you 
nothing  more."  She  spoke  as  one  under  stress 
and  suppression.  "  You  must  ask  nothing  more. 
You  must  take  my  love  on  faith  or  not  at  all  until 
you  know  it  is  time  for  you  to  tell  me  again  that 
I  am  necessary  to  you." 

He  felt  that  it  was  a  crisis  with  them,  and 
slowly  thought  of  what  he  might  say  to  break 
away  this  barrier  or  induce  her  to  remove  the  em- 
bargo. They  sat  looking  into  the  distance;  but 
before  he  could  formulate  an  argument  the  sound 
of  a  horse's  hoofs  madly  clattering  over  the  pave- 
ments caught  their  attention.  It  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  and  then  past  them  on  the  street  below 
a  man  in  soldier's  uniform  flashed  by.  They 
looked  at  each  other  wonderingly,  half  starting 

17 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

to  their  feet,  and  as  they  looked  a  sudden  pande- 
monium broke  forth. 

From  an  alleyway  nearby  burst  an  army  of 
newsboys,  the  streets  suddenly  became  alive  with 
pedestrians  belched  forth  from  cafes  and  hotels, 
and  above  all  other  sounds  came  the  cries  of, 
"Extry!  Extry!  War  broken  out!  War!  War! 
War!" 

She  turned  away  from  him  as  if  in  those  cries 
were  an  irrevocable  sentence  of  misery,  parted  the 
vines,  and  stood  silently  looking  out  into  the 
night;  and  he  knew  without  seeing  that  in  her 
eyes  were  tears. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE   SWORD    OF  THE   SAMURAI 

HE  nation  was  in  a  turmoil. 
Throughout  the  night  and  the 
following  day  the  newspapers  of 
the  country  sent  forth  a  more  or 
less  trustworthy  recountal  of  the  opening  of  hos- 
tilities. It  had  been  known  for  weeks  that  the 
transports  of  Japan  guarded  by  her  entire  navy 
had  assembled  off  Nagasaki.  It  had  even  been 
reported  that  they  had  sailed  away  for  southern 
waters;  but  this  had  met  with  later  denial.  The 
blow  had  fallen  as  swiftly  as  would  that  of  a  rat- 
tlesnake which  for  weeks  had  been  coiled  and 
sinuously  moving  its  head  in  preparation  for 
attack. 

Strangely  enough  the  first  reports  of  war  came 
from  foreign  sources;  but  they  were  undoubtedly 
official,  having  been  imparted  by  Japan  to  her 
ally,  Great  Britain.  The  bulletins  issued  by  the 
London  papers  bore  the  undoubted  ring  of 
semi-official  utterances.  That  of  "  The  Daily 
Mail,"  cabled  in  full  to  the  American  press, 
read: 

19 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"Japan,  reluctantly  abandoning  hope  of  peace 
by  ordinary  methods,  has  been  driven  to  the  ex- 
treme recourse  and  has  officially  declared  war 
against  the  United  States  of  America." 

Within  half  an  hour  after  the  issuance  of  this 
bulletin  a  second  announcement  was  made,  which 
took  no  cognizance  of  the  fact  that  the  official 
declaration  must  have  been  preceded  by  decisive 
action: 

"  The  Japanese  War  Office  has  been  advised 
that  on  the  27th  instant  at  noon  the  Philippine 
Islands  were  compelled  to  surrender  to  the  Japa- 
nese fleet,  which  appeared  off  Manila.  Not  only 
did  the  city  itself  capitulate,  but  possession  of  the 
entire  islands  has  been  given  over.  The  Japanese 
Government  announces  with  due  modesty  that  it 
has  gained  a  complete  and  unqualified  victory 
without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

"  LATER. — It  is  announced  by  the  Japanese 
Government  that  the  parole  of  all  officers  and 
men  of  the  United  States  army  in  the  Philippines 
has  been  accepted,  and  the  men  of  the  vanquished 
army  have  been  allowed  to  sail  for  San  Francisco 
on  board  foreign  ships,  which  were  lying  in  the 
harbor  at  the  time  of  surrender." 

From  every  quarter  of  the  land  came  insistent 
demands  for  official  news  from  the  Government, 
coupled  with  requests  for  detailed  accounts  of 
the  defeat.  The  administration  replied  with  the 

2O 


SWORD     OF     THE     SAMURAI 

brief  statement  that  no  verified  report  of  the 
action  in  the  Philippines  could  be  given  out  at 
that  time.  It  did  state,  however,  that  the  official 
declaration  of  war  had  been  duly  received,  that  the 
Japanese  Ambassador  had  been  withdrawn,  the 
Legation  closed,  and  that  the  officials  would 
leave  New  York  for  their  own  country  that  even- 
ing, sailing  by  way  of  Liverpool. 

Public  clamor  gave  way  to  popular  indignation. 
The  country  was  aflame  with  war  spirit.  Guards- 
men gathered  in  their  armories,  awaiting  official 
bulletins  and  the  expected  call  to  arms;  and  yet 
no  orders  came.  The  Governors  of  several  States 
telegraphed  to  the  War  Department  for  advice; 
but  their  only  satisfaction  was  in  the  follow- 
ing message  sent  broadcast  by  the  Secretary  of 
State: 

"  The  Government,  recognizing  the  patriotism 
and  readiness  of  the  National  Guard  of  the 
United  States,  does  not  at  this  immediate  mo- 
ment desire  its  services.  It  is  well  to  bear  in 
mind,  however,  that  a  sudden  call  may  be  issued 
at  a  later  date  and  to  be  prepared  for  emergen- 
cies. It  wishes  to  announce  further  that  in  its 
judgment  there  will  be  no  necessity  for  fighting 
on  land,  and  that  the  situation  is  completely 
under  control.  So  far  there  have  been  no  casu- 
alties reported  from  the  Philippines." 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  state  of  the  pub- 

3  21 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

lie  mind  before  the  isssuance  of  this  declaration, 
the  country  now  gasped  with  amazement.  Some 
of  the  more  violent  and  outspoken  journals  de- 
manded of  the  men  at  Washington  a  statement 
of  what  they  purposed  to  do  in  this  emergency, 
and  the  most  radical  intimated  in  no  uncertain 
terms  that  incompetent  administrations  were  sub- 
ject to  impeachment.  But  to  all  of  this  outburst 
the  Government  officials  most  directly  interested 
presented  only  the  same  calm,  placid,  and  indiffer- 
ent front.  There  was  nothing  to  be  detected  in 
their  demeanor  to  indicate  that  any  action  what- 
ever had  been  taken. 

The  various  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps, 
even  to  the  highest  of  the  foreign  Ambassadors, 
gathered  no  new  information.  They  were  invari- 
ably told,  first,  that  the  United  States  knew  there 
had  been  a  declaration  of  war;  second,  that  the 
United  States  knew  that  the  Philippines  had  been 
surrendered;  third,  that  no  orders  had  been  issued 
up  to  that  hour  for  the  sailing  of  any  fleet,  but 
that  it  was  expected  orders  would  be  given  before 
the  day  was  over.  The  men  of  the  foreign  repre- 
sentation one  and  all  felt  a  gentle  rebuff  tanta- 
mount to  being  told  that  the  United  States  was 
attending  strictly  to  its  own  business  and  desired 
neither  to  be  advised  nor  to  be  compelled  to 
answer  questions. 

None  felt  this  more  keenly  than  the  members 

22 


SWORD     OF     THE     SAMURAI 

of  the  British  Legation,  and  Guy  Hillier  in  par- 
ticular. His  meeting  of  the  night  before  with 
Miss  Roberts  had  not  terminated  satisfactorily, 
but  had  come  to  an  abrupt  close  when  he  bade  her 
good  night  at  the  door  of  her  home,  and  with  all 
his  questions  unanswered.  Since  that  moment 
there  had  been  little  time  for  him  either  to  brood 
over  the  situation  or  to  conjecture  over  her 
strange  attitude. 

Throughout  the  early  morning  he  hurried  this 
way  and  that,  receiving  visitors  and  answering 
requests  for  information  from  Great  Britain.  His 
superior,  heated  and  exasperated,  broke  in  upon 
him  almost  as  he  was  starting  to  call  up  Miss 
Roberts's  residence. 

"  Guy,"  the  Ambassador  said,  "  we  are  in  a 
country  of  lunatics.  There  is  something  in  this 
Government's  attitude  that  is  inexplicable.  It 
can't  be  that  they  are  all  cowards,  and  yet  I  have 
something  to  show  you." 

The  Ambassador  drew  a  handkerchief  from  his 
sleeve  and  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  fore- 
head, after  which  he  reached  a  large  pudgy  finger 
over  to  the  secretary's  desk,  pressing  thereon  a 
pearl  topped  electric  button. 

"  Walters,"  he  said  to  the  usher  who  came  into 
the  room  in  answer  to  the  summons,  "  neither  Mr. 
Hillier  nor  myself  is  here,  and  we  won't  be  back 
for  an  hour;  that  is  what  you  are  to  say  without 

23 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

exception."  Then  as  the  attendant  bowed  himself 
out  he  beckoned  the  secretary  to  follow  him  into 
the  seclusion  of  his  private  office. 

"  Hillier,"  he  began,  throwing  a  paper  on  the 
desk  before  the  secretary,  who  had  seated  himself 
on  the  opposite  side,  "  read  that." 

The  secretary  saw  before  him  a  code  telegram 
neatly  interpreted  between  the  lines.  It  was  evi- 
dently an  official  order  addressed  to  a  fleet  com- 
mander at  Callao,  Peru. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  that,"  he  asked  in  a  tone 
of  great  disgust,  and  then,  as  Hillier  started  to 
question  him,  put  up  his  hand  for  silence.  "  No, 
it  doesn't  matter  where  I  got  it,  or  how  I  had  it 
decoded;  it  is  genuine,  all  right." 

The  secretary  stared  at  him  with  a  look  of  blank 
interrogation  on  his  face,  while  the  Ambassador 
rose  from  the  seat  into  which  he  had  thrown  him- 
self only  a  moment  before,  leaned  over  his  desk, 
resting  himself  on  the  knuckles  of  his  clenched 
hands,  and  said: 

"  That  is  an  order  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  positively  commanding  all  the  vessels  owned 
by  the  United  States  in  Pacific  waters  to  return 
without  delay  to  Baltimore.  It's  a  shame,  that's 
what  it  is!  The  other  nations  of  the  world  should 
intervene  and  prevent  this  country  from  commit- 
ting suicide.  Conditions  are  so  extraordinary  that 
I  don't  dare  intrust  anyone  but  you  to  make  a 

24 


SWORD     OF     THE     SAMURAI 

report  of  the  situation,  and  you  have  got  to  do 
that  in  person.'* 

He  walked  up  and  down  the  room  excitedly  for 
a  few  moments,  freely  expressing  his  perplexity 
over  the  turn  of  events,  and  ended  by  abruptly 
ringing  for  a  timetable  and  a  sailing  list,  which  he 
consulted  before  again  addressing  himself  to  his 
secretary. 

"Get  out  of  here  as  quickly  as  you  can!"  he 
ordered.  "  Go  to  your  rooms,  throw  what  stuff 
you  need  into  a  bag,  and  take  the  first  train  you 
can  get  for  New  York!  I  shall  meet  you  at  the 
station  here  and  give  you  such  reports  of  condi- 
tions as  I  can  write  in  the  meantime.  When  you 
get  to  New  York,  go  as  quickly  as  you  can  to  the 
Cunard  dock,  from  which  the  Lucania  is  due  to 
sail  early  in  the  morning.  I  shall  hold  her  up  until 
you  arrive.  Deliver  my  letters  in  person  to  the 
Foreign  Secretary's  office  in  London,  and  answer 
such  questions  as  you  can  regarding  this  re- 
markable situation  and  this  incomprehensible 
Government.  These  matters  are  too  important 
to  admit  of  delay  and  ordinary  official  reports.  Go 
quickly!"  he  concluded,  almost  shoving  Hillier 
through  the  door.  I'll  attend  to  everything  here. 
Don't  let  there  be  any  delay  on  your  part! " 

The  secretary  hurried  away  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  his  departure,  leaving  the  perturbed 
Ambassador  to  prepare  his  reports.  He  called  a 

25 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

cab  and  drove  to  his  apartment,  intent  on  first 
telephoning  to  Miss  Roberts.  His  man  met  him 
at  the  door  and  handed  him  a  letter  addressed  in 
a  familiar  hand,  which  he  hastily  tore  open  and 
read  as  he  stood  in  the  open  doorway: 

"DEAR  GUY:  I  have  been  called  away  very 
suddenly,  and  am  going  to  my  father.  He  needs 
me  now  more  than  ever.  I  cannot  alter  anything 
which  I  told  you  last  night,  nor  can  I  add  any- 
thing, save  to  say  that  sometime,  somehow,  God 
willing,  we  shall  be  together  again,  under  circum- 
stances where  I  can  tell  you  all  the  truth.  It  will 
do  no  good  to  write  to  the  old  address;  for  I  shall 
not  be  there.  There  will  be  no  means  of  our  com- 
municating, I  fear,  for  an  indefinite  time.  It  is 
always  within  the  realms  of  possibility,  when  war 
is  on  a  land,  that  friends  may  never  meet  again. 
If  such  should  be  our  case,  I  pray  that  you  will 
remember  this  even  up  to  the  last, — I  loved  you. 
Good  by.  NORMA." 

Stunned  by  this  unexpected  missive,  he  hurried 
to  the  telephone,  and  in  a  fever  of  haste  and  anx- 
iety called  up  her  home,  only  to  be  told  that  she 
had  departed  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  morning 
after  receiving  a  message  presumably  from  her 
father.  He  could  learn  nothing  further  of  her,  and 
was  stopped  as  if  by  an  insurmountable  wall.  He 

26 


SWORD     OF     THE     SAMURAI 

cursed  the  fate  which  separated  them  and  the  order 
which  sent  him  away  without  giving  time  to  see 
her,  and  almost  in  open  rebellion  thought  for  a 
moment  of  refusing  to  act  as  King's  courier,  re- 
solving rather  to  resign  from  his  position  and 
abandon  his  post;  but  he  was  bound  by  the  train- 
ing of  years  and  the  demands  of  duty,  and  at  the 
last  moment  boarded  the  train  which  was  to  take 
him  from  the  country  and  the  woman  he  loved. 

And  even  as  he  went  the  object  of  his  solicitude 
was  speeding  away  into  the  South  on  a  special 
train. 

The  train  consisted  of  only  two  Pullmans  and 
a  dining  car.  Before  it  in  its  southern  flight  the 
way  seemed  always  open,  and  hour  after  hour  it 
rushed  onward,  drawn  by  the  most  powerful  loco- 
motives that  could  be  obtained.  Norma  was  the 
only  woman  passenger  aboard;  all  the  others  were 
grim  faced,  sun  tanned  men  of  the  sea,  who  had 
been  summoned  to  Washington  from  various  navy 
yards  and  ships  within  the  month.  Of  all  on  board 
she  was  the  only  civilian,  and  yet  the  one  whom 
the  Government  seemed  most  anxious  to  trans- 
port. The  officers  themselves  gathered  into  little 
groups,  discussing  the  war  which  had  opened  so 
abruptly,  and  speculating  as  to  why  in  such  an  im- 
portant crisis  they  had  been  ordered  from  their 
posts  of  duty  to  report  for  further  advices  and 

27 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

sealed  instructions  at  so  unimportant  and  isolated 
a  seaport  as  the  small  one  on  the  coast  of  Florida 
to  which  they  were  heading. 

Another  singular  feature  of  this  journey  was 
that  all  aboard,  from  the  distinguished  Admiral  to 
the  junior  Lieutenant  Commander,  were,  by  order, 
in  the  plainest  of  civilian  dress.  That  it  had  been 
the  intention  of  the  War  Department  to  maintain 
their  identity  secret  was  proved  by  the  comments 
of  a  railway  official  who  stood  near  one  of  the 
coaches  while  waiting  for  a  change  of  locomotives. 

"  You  understand,  don't  you,"  he  said  to  a  man 
apparently  a  train  dispatcher  standing  beside  him, 
"  that  this  train  has  the  right  of  way  over  every- 
thing? Sidetrack  the  flyer  if  necessary  to  get  this 
through.  There  can't  be  anything  in  front  of  her, 
and  the  only  limit  to  her  time  is  the  speed  of  the 
engine  that  pulls  her.  I  understand  it's  a  party  of 
Secret  Service  people  the  Government  is  sending 
to  Cuba.  That's  all  I  know  about  it,  and  it's  in 
line  with  everything  else  you  naturally  can  expect 
from  such  a  lot  of  insane  men  as  they  seem  to  have 
in  Washington." 

They  whirled  away  from  the  station,  looking  at 
each  other  blankly,  and  wondering  what  the  out- 
come of  all  this  mystery  could  be.  Every  action 
so  far  was  without  precedent.  There  was  a  dispo- 
sition on  the  part  of  some  of  them  to  bemoan  the 
fate  which  had  detached  them  from  their  ships  at  a 

28 


SWORD     OF     THE     SAMURAI 

time  when  the  country  was  to  be  defended  and 
glory  won;  but  this  was  brought  to  a  sudden  end 
by  grim  old  "  Fighting  Bob  "  Bevins,  the  Admiral, 
who  reprimanded  them  for  daring  to  criticise  their 
superiors  or  their  orders. 

"  I  don't  know  what  it's  all  about,  boys,"  he 
said,  relenting.  "  I  wish  I  did;  but  I  have  no  more 
knowledge  of  it  than  you  have.  I  don't  even  know 
why  Miss  Roberts  is  aboard;  but  this  much  I  am 
certain  of:  that  the  men  in  Washington  know  what 
they  are  doing,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  world  can 
just  keep  on  criticising  and  guessing.  As  far  as 
we  are  concerned,  we  are  officers  who  have  sworn 
to  and  will  obey  orders,  even  if  they  tell  us  to  go 
to  the  outer  edge  of  the  flat  earth." 

Darkness  came  on  them  before  their  next  stop 
was  made,  and  they  slowed  down  as  they  passed 
through  the  yards  of  a  large  city,  felt  their  puffing 
locomotive  being  uncoupled,  and  heard  the  slow 
resonant  snorts  of  a  fresh  one  being  driven  into 
place.  They  were  tired  of  the  day's  traveling,  and 
sat  in  listless  silence,  looking  through  the  open 
windows  at  the  half  deserted  platforms.  News- 
boys were  running  here  and  there  offering  the 
latest  editions,  and  they  called  them  to  the  side  of 
the  coach  and  bought  newspapers  from  them. 
The  silence  in  the  car  was  broken  by  the  Admiral, 
who  had  been  the  first  purchaser. 

"Well,    I'll    be    blanked!"    he    said,    angrily 
29 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

crumpling  his  paper  into  a  ball  which  he  threw  on 
the  floor  at  his  feet,  before  he  began  striding  up 
and  down  the  aisle.  What  he  had  read  beneath 
flaring  headlines  was  this: 

"WASHINGTON,  May  28. — The  Japanese  have 
taken  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  together  with  the 
gunboats  Marietta  and  Corbett,  and  are  now  land- 
ing troops  from  a  large  transport.  The  incredible 
and  disgraceful  feature  of  the  affair  is  that  not  a 
gun  was  fired  by  either  side,  our  officers  content- 
ing themselves  by  running  up  the  white  flag  when 
the  enemy  approached.  The  cable  operator  send- 
ing the  message  said  that  he  did  so  under  the  sur- 
veillance of  two  Japanese  officers,  who  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  message  would  disconnect  the  cable, 
thus  putting  the  islands  out  of  communication. 


CHAPTER    III 

WHEN   THE    FLAG    CAME    DOWN 

HE  Government  was  compelled  to 
take  action  toward  pacifying  its 
own  subjects  immediately  after  the 
news  of  the  Hawaiian  surrender, 
public  indignation  having  risen  to  the  point  where 
the  people  threatened  to  take  matters  into  their 
own  hands.  Without  a  dissenting  voice  the  jour- 
nals of  the  country  came  forth  with  scathing  edi- 
torials, .occasionally  asking  the  President  whether 
it  was  the  intention  of  the  administration  to  run 
up  a  white  flag  as  soon  as  a  fast  approaching  en- 
emy neared  the  shores,  and  thus  surrender  the 
whole  United  States.  Therefore  an  appeal  for 
patience  was  issued  in  the  following  terms: 

"  The  President  and  his  Cabinet,  acting  for  and 
empowered  by  Congress  in  special  session,  most 
urgently  ask  the  people  of  the  United  States  to 
withhold  judgment  on  the  conduct  of  the  war  for 
at  least  a  week  longer;  when  it  will  be  fully  dem- 
onstrated that  the  Government  is  following  a  well 
defined  policy,  which  will  not  only  avert  blood- 

31 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

shed,  but  will  impose  no  disgrace  upon  our  coun- 
try. The  exigencies  of  the  situation  are  such  that 
to  make  public  our  plans  would  be  to  defeat  our 
own  ends.  We  therefore  ask  the  earnest  support 
and  cooperation  of  the  people  of  the  United  States 
by  such  means  as  lie  within  their  power,  which  at 
this  time  can  be  shown  best  by  a  cessation  of  mass 
meetings  and  criticisms  tending  only  to  embarrass 
the  Government  in  the  discharge  of  its  duty  and 
the  bringing  to  a  successful  termination  the  con- 
flict which  is  now  on." 

Contrary  to  the  usual  form  of  proclamation,  this 
one  was  signed  not  only  by  the  President  but  by 
all  members  of  his  Cabinet,  who  therefore  jointly 
assumed  the  responsibility.  At  first  there  was  an 
inclination  to  deride  the  message,  and  then  when 
more  sober  thought  prevailed  a  spirit  of  fairness 
dictated  that  the  administration  should  have  its 
chance. 

Foreign  advices  indicated  that  no  attack  might 
be  expected  against  the  shores  of  the  United 
States  proper  for  even  a  greater  length  of  time 
than  ten  days;  hence  the  respite  of  seven  days 
seemed  a  reasonable  limit  within  which  the  Gov- 
ernment might  demonstrate  its  theories. 

It  was  possible  that  the  public  temper  would 
have  remained  passive  for  the  full  period,  but  for 
a  somewhat  unfortunate  and  graphic  description 

32 


WHEN     THE     FLAG     CAME     DOWN 

of  what  had  taken  place  in  the  Philippines,  cabled 
by  the  correspondent  of  a  London  paper,  who  had 
been  on  the  scene,  and  which  read  as  follows: 

"  The  surrender  of  the  Philippine  Islands  by  the 
United  States  to  Japan  constitutes  what  is  prob- 
ably the  most  remarkable  chapter  in  the  history  of 
wars.  Not  only  was  there  no  battle  fought  nor 
any  attempt  made  at  defense,  but  what  is  worse,  or 
would  seem  so  to  any  man  with  red  blood  in  his 
veins,  is  the  humiliation  imposed  upon  the  Ameri- 
cans by  their  home  Government.  To  an  impartial 
observer  it  would  appear  that  nothing  but  mad- 
ness could  dictate  such  a  policy.  The  facts  of  the 
case  are  as  follows: 

"  Although  trouble  had  been  expected  with 
Japan  by  every  reasoning  inhabitant  of  the  islands 
for  many  months,  the  Government  at  Washing- 
ton apparently  made  no  attempt  whatever  to 
strengthen  its  position,  and,  on  the  contrary, 
seemed  rather  endeavoring  to  weaken  it.  As  the 
whole  world  knows,  there  have  been  immense  and 
costly  fortifications  under  progress  of  construction 
in  the  islands  for  the  last  ten  years.  More  than 
thirty  days  ago,  by  official  order,  work  on  these 
defenses  was  summarily  stopped,  the  workmen 
discharged,  and  the  engineers  ordered  home.  This 
was  the  first  act  of  treachery  toward  the  Philip- 
pines. 

33 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  Immediately  following  this  incomprehensible 
action  all  war  vessels  in  waters  surrounding  the 
islands  and  on  the  Pacific  station  were  ordered 
to  ports  in  Europe,  where  they  rendezvoused  in 
what  can  never  be  anything  but  neutral  territory. 
And  there  they  are  at  this  moment,  thousands  of 
miles  from  the  scene  of  conflict,  incapable  of  either 
offense  or  defense.  Had  the  Government  delib- 
erately chosen  to  put  itself  out  of  touch  with  the 
whole  war,  it  could  have  selected  no  more  effective 
method.  Your  correspondent  has  had  the  honor 
of  an  intimate  friendship  not  only  with  the  civil 
officials  of  the  islands  but  with  the  men  of  the  army 
and  navy  as  well,  and  is  therefore  in  a  position  to 
give  trustworthy  and  detailed  information  of  what 
at  this  time  seems  little  less  than  an  infamy. 

"  It  had  been  known  for  some  days  that  orders 
of  a  most  remarkable  nature  had  been  received 
by  the  Governor  of  the  islands  and  the  command- 
ing General.  What  these  were,  however,  remained 
a  secret  until  that  memorable  day  of  May. 

"At  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  May  27  a 
cloud  of  smoke  became  visible  on  the  horizon,  and 
when  within  range  of  the  glasses  it  was  discovered 
that  in  the  offing  floated  two  cruisers  of  the  first 
class  and  one  battleship,  flying  the  Japanese  flag 
and  cleared  for  action.  The  officer  in  command 
of  the  fort  at  once  communicated  this  fact  to  the 
Governor,  and  a  consultation  was  called,  to  which 

34 


WHEN     THE     FLAG    CAME     DOWN 

all  officials  of  both  branches  of  Government  were 
summoned.  Inasmuch  as  the  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion required  the  absolute  concurrence  of  all  con- 
cerned, the  consultation  was  not  confined  to  men 
of  high  rank,  but  included  every  commissioned 
officer  from  the  army  and  every  official  of  standing 
in  the  civil  government.  The  men,  wondering  at 
this  strange  call,  and  aware  that  something  unex- 
pected had  happened,  responded  to  the  summons 
and  repaired  to  the  Governor's  office,  where  they 
seated  themselves  silently,  and  waited  for  that 
executive  to  address  them.  He,  a  man  grown 
gray  in  the  diplomatic  service  of  his  nation, 
paced  up  and  down  the  room  as  if  loath  to 
speak. 

"  '  Gentlemen/  he  began,  '  it  is  not  within  my 
province  to  criticise  the  acts  of  the  department 
which  I  represent  nor  to  find  fault  with  its  desires, 
and  yet  I  have  before  me  at  this  moment  the  most 
humiliating  instructions  which  in  more  than  forty 
years  of  life  in  a  responsible  capacity  I  have  ever 
received/ 

"  He  stood  for  a  few  moments,  as  if  dreading 
to  tell  his  auditors  of  his  country's  shame,  and 
then  with  trembling  hand  opened  a  drawer  of  his 
desk  and  took  out  a  file  of  official  documents, 
which  he  held  before  him  as  he  continued: 

; '  At  the  time  when  work  was  stopped  on  the 
fortifications  of  this  harbor,  I  received  additional 

35 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

orders  to  the  effect  that  in  case  of  any  overt  act 
or  warlike  demonstration  upon  the  part  of  Japan 
we  were  not  to  make  any  defense  unless  it  involved 
the  saving  of  our  lives,  and  to  surrender  the  islands 
in  toto  to  our  enemy.' 

"  It  has  been  your  correspondent's  privilege  to 
witness  many  scenes  where  the  tempers  of  men 
were  tried  as  by  fire;  but  never  yet  has  he  been 
compelled  to  view  the  deliberate  mortification  of 
at  least  two  score  of  valiant  men  in  such  a  per- 
emptory and  unheard  of  manner.  They  sat  as  if 
stupefied  by  an  overwhelming  catastrophe,  look- 
ing at  one  another  as  if  incredulous  and  doubting 
their  own  hearing,  and  then  suddenly  broke  into 
angry  exclamations  of  surprise  and  indignation. 
By  a  most  remarkable  display  of  authority  they 
were  brought  into  subjection  again,  the  command- 
ing General,  a  man  at  almost  retiring  age,  rising 
before  them  and  holding  up  a  warning  hand. 
'  Gentlemen/  he  said,  quietly  rebuking  them,  '  our 
first  duty  is  that  of  obedience/ 

"  The  officers,  looking  at  one  another,  settled 
into  their  seats,  and  in  almost  an  instant  the 
silence  in  the  room  had  grown  painful.  The  Gov- 
ernor, still  holding  his  papers  before  him,  slowly 
continued: 

"  '  Fearing  trickery  on  the  part  of  a  prospective 
enemy,  I  doubted  the  authenticity  of  my  instruc- 
tions. I  used  a  secret  code  which  has  never  gone 

36 


WHEN     THE     FLAG    CAME     DOWN 

beyond  the  hands  of  the  most  confidential  men  in 
my  department,  and  to  my  surprise  received  abso- 
lute confirmation.  To  you  of  the  army  I  will  say 
that  before  this  verification  was  received,  your 
General/  and  here  he  turned  to  his  white  haired 
confrere,  '  had  been  the  recipient  of  a  command 
from  the  Secretary  of  War  of  the  United  States 
couched  in  almost  the  same  terms/ 

"At  the  conclusion  of  his  speech,  this  fine  old 
man  sank  back  into  his  chair  with  bowed  head  as 
if  the  disgrace  of  his  country  was  his  own.  There 
was  a  more  or  less  dignified  discussion  participated 
in  by  the  older  officers  present;  but  interrupted 
now  and  then  by  some  of  the  younger  men,  who 
favored  totally  ignoring  the  orders,  and  defending 
the  islands  to  the  death.  The  cooler  heads  among 
them  prevailed,  and  at  last  it  was  recognized  that 
there  was  no  alternative  save  absolute  and  unquali- 
fied surrender. 

"  Before  the  meeting  could  be  officially  dis- 
persed the  sullen  boom,  of  a  gun  came  heavily  from 
the  sea,  reverberating  through  the  room.  The 
men  sprang  to  their  feet  and  rushed  toward  the 
exit,  knowing  that  war  was  upon  them,  but  that 
their  hands  were  tied  as  hopelessly  as  though 
bound  with  manacles  of  steel. 

"  There,  within  range  of  their  own  heavier  guns, 
floated  a  formidable  fleet  from  Japan.  Even  while 
their  conference  was  in  progress,  cruiser  after 
4  37 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

cruiser  and  floating  forts  of  steel  had  crept  up 
over  the  horizon.  The  Japanese  gunners  were 
testing  their  range;  but  no  damage  had  been  done. 
I  saw  a  procession  of  crestfallen  men,  going  as  if 
to  a  funeral,  enter  their  fortress  gates  and  silently 
gather  round  the  great  flagstaff,  from  which 
floated  a  hitherto  unsullied  banner.  A  grim  old 
man  grown  gray  in  war  and  scarred  with  the  marks 
of  many  battles,  walked  to  the  halyards,  gave  them 
a  pull,  and  brought  fluttering  to  the  ground  the 
flag  under  which  he  had  fought  so  valiantly.  A 
Colonel  of  his  staff  took  from  the  hands  of  an 
orderly  a  cloth  of  white,  the  emblem  the  world 
over  of  defeat  with  or  without  honor,  fastened  it 
into  the  idle  loops,  and  pulled  it  aloft. 

"  The  General,  a  warrior  no  longer,  but  a  heart- 
broken old  man,  turned  away  from  his  colleagues, 
walked  across  the  parade,  and  the  door  of  his 
quarters  closed  upon  him.  Several  other  members 
of  his  staff  did  likewise,  and  still  others  stood  silent 
on  the  ramparts,  watching  the  outcome  of  this 
event.  The  ships  ceased  firing,  and,  as  if  per- 
plexed by  this  unwarranted  outcome,  seemed  to 
be  communicating  with  each  other,  dexterously 
wigwagging  signal  after  signal.  A  torpedo  boat 
destroyer  slowly  separated  itself  from  the  flotilla 
and  came  suspiciously  nosing  its  way  toward  the 
land,  winding  in  and  out  as  if  fearing  floating  mines 
or  sunken  engines  of  destruction. 

38 


WHEN     THE     FLAG     CAME     DOWN 

"  As  it  neared  the  shore,  it  was  seen  that  on  its 
black  deck  stood  the  Admiral  of  the  fleet,  together 
with  his  staff.  They  were  met  at  the  landing  by 
a  deputation  of  officers,  both  civil  and  military, 
who  escorted  them  to  the  fort.  No  one  can  depict 
the  expressions,  half  surprise  and  half  inquiry, 
which  overspread  the  countenances  of  this  insig- 
nificant invading  force.  A  party  of  less  than  ten 
men  without  arms  was  actually  accomplishing  the 
most  remarkable  conquest  in  all  history. 

"  At  the  entrance  to  this  city  of  masonry  and 
steel,  equipped  with  silent  monsters  of  warfare, 
embodying  all  the  latest  and  most  formidable  in- 
struments of  offense  and  defense,  built  to  with- 
stand the  onslaught  of  the  combined  navies  and 
armies  of  the  world,  stood  the  sullen,  shamefaced 
officers  of  the  vanquished  garrison,  the  gilt  of  their 
full  dress  uniforms  untarnished  by  powder  or 
smoke,  and  shining  garishly  in  a  midday  sun. 
There,  drawn  up  in  line,  were  men  who  would  have 
fought  to  death  and  gone  exultantly  out  into 
another  world  rather  than  face  the  disgrace  which- 
had  now  been  heaped  upon  them  by  an  unworthy 
clique  of  superiors  in  office. 

"  The  Japanese  Admiral  advanced  to  the  sacri- 
ficed but  not  defeated  General  and  extended  his 
hand,  offering  the  commonplace  courtesies  of  the 
day.  There  was  no  need  of  an  interpreter,  the 
head  of  the  victorious  force  speaking  the  English 

39 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

he  had  learned  at  the  United  States  Naval  Acad- 
emy, in  which  he  had  been  educated. 

"  '  Am  I  right,  sir,'  he  said,  '  in  construing  that 
white  flag  you  raised  as  a  sign  of  truce?  And  if 
that  is  so,  I  should  like  to  be  informed  as  to  why 
at  the  same  time  you  lowered  the  United  States 
flag  from  the  peak?  ' 

"  The  General  choked  with  mortification,  hesi- 
tated for  a  moment,  and  then  found  himself  un- 
able to  express  his  relinquishment  in  words.  He 
slowly  withdrew  his  sword  from  its  belt  hooks,  and 
held  it,  hilt  foremost,  toward  the  Admiral,  who 
seemed  unable  to  realize  that  it  was  tendered  in 
surrender.  There  was  a  moment's  silence,  in 
which  he  looked  down  at  that  trusty  old  blade  of 
steel,  never  before  dishonored  by  a  conqueror's 
hand.  He  glanced  inquiringly  at  his  fellow  coun- 
trymen, and  then  at  the  others,  as  if  questioning 
their  sanity. 

6 1  regret  to  say,  sir/  the  General  answered, 
'  that  the  flag  was  raised  in  surrender  not  only  of 
this  fortification,  but  of  all  military  forces  on  the 
islands/ 

"  The  Admiral  gave  a  quick  start  of  surprise  and 
jubilation  as  the  significance  of  this  unexpected 
action  dawned  upon  him. 

'  The  total  surrender  of  the  Philippines? '  he 
questioned,  as  if  it  was  beyond  comprehension 
that  without  further  effort  this  island  kingdom  of 

40 


WHEN    THE     FLAG    CAME    DOWN 

the  sea  was  tranquilly  to  be  turned  over  to  the  first 
enemy  who  battered  a  challenge  on  its  gates. 

"  The  General,  beyond  words,  nodded  in  con- 
firmation. In  a  few  quickly  spoken  sentences,  the 
Admiral  translated  the  details  of  the  conversation 
to  his  compatriots. 

"  Goaded  by  the  sneers  and  satirical  exclama- 
tions with  which  this  was  greeted,  the  General 
broke  into  a  sudden  blaze  of  wrath,  shook  a 
clenched  fist  under  the  Admiral's  very  nose,  and  in 
white  heat  exclaimed,  '  Yes,  it  comes  easy;  but  it's 
no  fault  of  mine!  I'm  obeying  orders.  If  I  had 
my  way  I'd  have  seen  you  in  hell  before  this  hap- 
pened. I  would,  so  help  me  God! ' 

"  As  a  signal  to  the  waiting  fleet,  they  ran  aloft 
the  rising  sun  emblem  of  Japan,  while  the  discom- 
fited officers  of  the  United  States  retired  to  the 
barracks  for  the  almost  hopeless  attempt  of  ex- 
plaining the  situation  to  the  puzzled  garrison. 
These  were  soldier  like,  quick  moving,  wiry  men 
from  the  West,  proud  of  their  country  and  their 
crops,  and  were  of  the  kind  that  could  not  under- 
stand dishonor  through  mere  obedience  to  higher 
orders.  They  stormed  and  swore,  and  for  a  time 
it  seemed  that  mutiny  would  spread  throughout 
the  fortress,  man  the  great  guns,  tear  down  the 
flag  of  Japan,  and  send  hurtling  masses  of  defiant 
steel  out  into  the  ranks  of  that  force  which  had 
come  upon  them  in  a  night  and  won  an  unearned 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

victory.    But  they  too  were  creatures  of  discipline, 
and  in  the  end  reluctantly  accepted  fate. 

"  The  great  armada  slowly  gathered  way  and 
crept  forward  almost  beneath  the  towering  walls 
of  the  silent  forts.  Boat  after  boat  brought  its 
load  of  marines  ashore  and  discharged  them  on 
ground  which  in  other  wars  had  been  stained  with 
the  blood  of  valorous  men.  Here  on  these  beaches 
had  stepped  the  armies  of  Old  Spain,  coming  as 
pioneers  to  battle  with  savage  foemen.  In  former 
years  the  waters  of  this  bay  on  another  day  in  May 
had  floated  the  vessels  of  brave  Dewey's  fleet,  had 
rocked  and  quivered  beneath  the  impact  of  his 
guns,  and  witnessed  the  raising  of  his  victorious 
flag  over  smoldering  ramparts.  And  with  such  a 
history  of  glory  behind  it,  the  moon  on  this  night 
rose  over  a  land,  silent,  conquered,  and  abandoned, 
as  if  it  was  of  no  more  value  than  a  tiny  pebble 
cast  into  a  tropical  sea." 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE   HARNESS    OF   WAR 

BREATH  of  summer  swept  over  the 
land,  giving  promise  of  wealth  of 
bloom  and  prodigality  of  harvest; 
but  the  plow  stood  idle  and  rusted 
in  the  waiting  fields,  the  meadows  went  unshorn, 
and  the  crops,  in  which  lay  the  riches  of  peace,  un- 
planted.  Everywhere  was  the  growing  din  of 
anarchy  and  the  stern  clangor  of  war.  A  people 
who  had  never  tamely  bowed  a  head  beneath  a 
yoke,  nor  rebelled  at  just  ruling,  found  themselves 
distraught  in  the  whirling  current  of  unreasonable 
tides  which  carried  them  out  to  they  knew  not 
what. 

A  tame  yielding  of  territory  over  which  their 
flag  had  once  flown,  an  equally  passive  surrender 
of  islands  which  had  come  to  them  of  their  own 
volition,  seeking  in  the  spread  of  the  eagle's  wings 
the  shadows  of  security,  and,  last  of  all,  as  a  crown- 
ing climax  of  folly,  the  sending  of  warships  to 
neutral  ports!  From  east  to  west,  as  the  oceans 
run,  from  the  border  line  of  the  North  to  that  of 
the  South,  there  swept  over  the  great  waiting 

43 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

nation  a  call  to  arms.  No  dam  built  by  mortal 
man  could  have  stemmed  that  rising  tide  of  indig- 
nation save  the  one  that  was  erected  by  the  admin- 
istration in  the  hours  of  its  stress.  News  of  it  came 
unheralded  as  had  aH  the  ominous  stories  pre- 
ceding it. 

Even  at  the  moment  when  an  overthrow  of  the 
governing  power  at  Washington  seemed  immi- 
nent, there  flashed  across  the  wires  from  Governor 
to  Governor  the  quick  and  insistent  demand  for 
fighting  men.  In  every  armory  was  heard  the  re- 
sounding clash  of  rifles.  A  hundred  thousand 
men,  drilled  for  the  emergencies  of  a  country's 
need,  sprang  to  their  weapons  like  tensely  strung 
warriors  of  old  awaiting  the  Pretor's  command  to 
charge.  A  country,  which  through  days  of  defeat 
had  seemingly  slept,  sprang  into  the  harness  of 
strife,  as  if  electrified  by  the  God  of  Battles.  Si- 
multaneously with  the  ordering  out  of  all  National 
Guardsmen  and  a  further  call  for  volunteers,  which 
received  instant  response,  every  railway  traversing 
the  country  was  requisitioned  by  the  War  De- 
partment. 

Yet,  in  all  this  turmoil  the  destination  of  this 
suddenly  mobilized  and  splendidly  powerful  army 
remained  a  secret.  In  vain  the  press  of  the  coun- 
try and  its  most  influential  citizens  demanded 
knowledge;  but  not  till  the  day  when  from  all 
directions  swarms  of  armed  men  sallied  forth,  was 

44 


THE     HARNESS     OF     WAR 

this  information  given.  And  as  if  blackened  by  a 
scourge  of  locusts,  the  Canadas  awakened  one 
morning  to  find  that  along  three  thousand  miles 
of  border  land  were  spread  a  line  of  soldiers,  the 
most  singular  line  of  repulse  ever  stretched 
between  nations.  It  was  one  of  excommunication. 

Not  even  the  commanding  officers  as  they  took 
their  stations  knew  the  whys  or  wherefores  of  this 
most  remarkable  move,  although  their  instructions 
were  of  the  simplest,  and  were  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances were  there  to  be  acts  of  unfriendliness 
nor,  even  under  provocation,  movements  of  ag- 
gression. They  were  to  stand  as  an  insurmount- 
able barrier  between  the  United  States  and  the 
Dominion,  prohibiting  traffic,  passage,  and  com- 
munication, and  nothing  more.  No  man  might 
cross  the  border,  and  wires  which  in  days  of  peace 
carried  from  one  country  to  another  the  news  of 
the  day  were  cut  and  torn  from  their  poles  as  if 
no  further  word  might  ever  be  transmitted  through 
them. 

Nor  was  this  all.  Wherever  a  cable  touched  on 
all  the  outer  edges  of  this  great  land  might  be 
found  soldiers  in  charge.  Wireless  telegraph  sta- 
tions were  abruptly  closed,  prohibiting  the  use 
even  of  the  air  itself.  Proclamations  were  issued 
that  instructions  had  been  given  for  the  perfora- 
tion of  any  airships  attempting  outside  commu- 
nication, and  the  penalty  of  instant  death  was 

45 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

threatened  any  aeronaut  who  disobeyed  this  com- 
mand. 

From  every  seaport  vessels  of  all  nations, 
friendly  or  unfriendly,  were  summarily  excluded. 
Protests  from  Captains  and  from  companies  were 
ignored.  The  United  States  was  suddenly  block- 
ading not  only  its  own  means  of  communication, 
but  sealing  its  ports  as  well.  No  message  might 
be  carried  in  or  out,  and,  as  if  fearing  also  for  its 
southern  border  line,  the  soldiers  of  the  regular 
army  were  placed  there.  The  vessels  of  the  navy 
which  were  in  the  home  waters  of  the  Atlantic 
were  put  on  patrol  duty,  steaming  up  and  down 
the  eastern  coast  with  the  regularity  of  policemen 
on  their  beats.  To  the  world  at  large  the  United 
States  of  America  might  never  have  been.  The 
fabled  Atlantis  of  old  could  have  disappeared  no 
more  completely  nor  been  cut  off  more  effectually 
from  intercourse  with  outside  mankind  than  was 
the  great  American  nation. 

Whatever  criticism  and  surprise  had  been 
caused  among  other  Powers  by  the  abandonment 
of  the  Philippines  and  the  Hawaiian  Islands  was 
outdone  by  this  latest  move.  Never  before  in  the 
world's  history  had  a  nation  enforced  complete 
isolation  upon  itself,  withdrawing  within  its  shell 
as  does  a  turtle  when  assailed.  Hitherto  it  had 
been  the  custom  of  a  people  attacked  to  maintain 
an  outward  seeming  of  uninterrupted  commerce 


THE     HARNESS     OF     WAR 

and  unimpeded  communication.  No  modern  Gov- 
ernment had  yet  had  the  temerity  to  shut  its  ports 
to  friendly  nations,  scorn  intercourse  with  them, 
and  trust  to  its  own  resources  for  support  and 
maintenance.  Protests  from  friendly  Powers  were 
unheeded  or  unavailing,  because  after  a  few  days 
there  was  no  possibility  of  conveying  such  remon- 
strance to  the  officials  at  Washington. 

In  the  Capital  itself  representatives  of  foreign 
nations,  hearing  of  this  embargo  on  the  ports, 
stood  upon  their  rights  and  demanded  either  their 
dismissal  or  the  free  and  uninterrupted  passage 
of  their  communications.  Some  of  the  more  im- 
portunate ones  were  politely  told  that  they  might 
take  their  departure  at  any  time  they  deemed  fit; 
but  were  given  warning  that  it  must  be  within 
forty-eight  hours  or  they  would  not  be  permitted 
to  pass  the  border  line.  These  discomfited  diplo- 
mats either  hastened  to  the  nearest  harbor,  em- 
barking upon  the  last  steamer  leaving,  or  chose  to 
remain  within  the  country. 

The  maritime  nations  of  Europe,  aghast  at 
what  they  termed  the  insolence  of  the  United 
States,  discussed  means  of  bringing  her  to  book 
and  compelling  her  to  open  her  roadsteads;  but 
found  a  lack  of  unanimity  as  to  method.  Great 
Britain,  jealous  of  Germany,  but  fearing  a  swift 
onslaught  from  the  Kaiser's  realm,  hesitated  to 
take  the  initiative  and  thus  leave  her  own  coasts 

47 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

exposed  to  attack.  France,  with  the  memory  of 
an  earlier  war,  remained  passive.  Russia,  smart- 
ing under  the  recollection  of  her  own  defeat,  re- 
fused to  take  any  steps  which  directly  or  indirectly 
might  aid  Japan.  And  the  smaller  nations  awaited 
a  leader. 

England  was  placed  in  the  most  peculiar  and 
trying  position  of  all.  The  last  official  utterance 
of  the  United  States  to  a  foreign  Power  had  been 
to  her,  in  the  positive  assertion  that,  come  what 
might,  she  of  all  nations  need  have  no  fear  of  being 
embroiled,  and  that  under  no  circumstances  need 
she  apprehend  war  with  America. 

The  English  Ambassador,  who  was  one  of  the 
last  to  take  timely  advantage  of  his  opportunity 
and  seek  a  temporary  residence  in  Montreal, 
cabled  his  country  a  frank  admission  that  the  pol- 
icy of  the  United  States  was  completely  beyond 
his  comprehension,  and  that  whatever  of  the  situa- 
tion might  be  known  from  personal  observation 
would  be  explained  by  his  secretary,  Guy  Hillier, 
due  at  any  moment  in  London.  The  ears  of 
Europe  were  therefore  open  for  such  communica- 
tions as  might  be  imparted  by  this  young  man, 
who  for  the  moment  became  of  paramount  impor- 
tance. 

Thus  it  was  that  Hillier,  arriving  at  the  Liver- 
pool docks,  found  himself  the  center  of  all  interest. 


THE     HARNESS     OF     WAR 

A  swarm  of  newspaper  correspondents,  more  or 
less  distinguished  in  their  profession,  sought  in- 
terviews; but,  warned  in  advance  by  wireless  tele- 
graph, he  declined  all  conversation.  The  wharf 
was  black  with  people,  who  anxiously  craned  their 
necks  to  catch  sight  of  the  man  who  was  ex- 
pected to  elucidate  the  greatest  mystery  of  the 
age.  A  guard  of  constables  formed  a  hollow 
square  round  him  and  forced  their  way  up  the 
long,  tunnel  like  shed  leading  to  the  train  which 
was  to  convey  him  to  London. 

When  he  had  gained  his  seat  in  a  compartment 
reserved  for  his  use,  and  the  train  whirled  away 
past  neatly  walled  farms,  prosperous  villages,  and 
great  cities,  he  wondered  at  the  strange  trend  of 
events  which  had  thrown  him  so  prominently  into 
the  foreground.  He  smiled  in  irony  as  he  re- 
viewed his  own  actual  knowledge  of  the  situation, 
and  realized  how  little  he  had  in  the  way  of  infor- 
mation in  comparison  with  what  he  was  expected 
to  divulge. 

At  Euston  Station  he  was  escorted  to  a  carriage, 
and  whistled  a  soft  note  of  surprise  as  he  recog- 
nized on  the  panels  the  Prime  Minister's  coat  of 
arms.  Plainly  he  was  to  be  subjected  to  what  in 
America  he  had  heard  called  the  "  Third  Degree." 
Surreptitious  nods  were  interchanged  by  a  crowd 
of  loungers,  and  such  comments  as  "  That's  him!  " 
and  "  'E's  the  bloke  w'ats  goin'  to  tell  us  abaout 

49 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

it!"  floated  to  him  as  the  footman  slammed  the 
door  behind,  mounted  the  box,  and  whipped  the 
team  into  a  gallop. 

He  was  ushered  into  the  sacred  precincts  of 
the  Prime  Minister's  private  chamber,  and  found 
awaiting  not  only  that  important  person  but  the 
Foreign  Secretary,  and  a  Lord  of  the  Admiralty 
as  well.  The  ponderously  sealed  packet  from  his 
Ambassador  was  torn  open  and  read  aloud.  It 
contained  the  following  startling  statement  from 
his  perturbed  and  irate  superior: 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  Your  Lordship 
that  I  am  in  a  country  evidently  inhabited  by 
maniacs.  I  have  painstakingly  sought  a  logical 
explanation  for  the  acts  of  this  Government,  and 
frankly  admit  that  I  am  unabk  to  understand 
either  its  attitude  toward  His  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment, its  proposed  plan  of  campaign,  or  what  the 
effect  of  this  war  will  be  upon  other  nations.  I 
have  been  persistently  refused  any  intimation  as 
to  what  has  taken  place  or  is  intended.  In  a  per- 
sonal interview  with  His  Excellency,  the  President 
of  the  United  States,  I  have  been  positively  in- 
formed that  his  country  will  under  no  circum- 
stances permit  any  demonstration  against  Great 
Britain,  but  that  it  may  become  necessary  to  sus- 
pend intercourse  for  a  time.  I  cannot  tell  what  is 
meant  by  this,  nor  would  he  give  me  further  in- 

50 


THE     HARNESS     OF     WAR 

formation.  The  attitude  of  the  administration, 
backed  up  by  Congress,  is  that  of  supreme  egotism 
and  self  sufficiency,  despite  the  position  taken  by 
the  people  and  the  press,  as  shown  in  newspapers 
which  are  sent  herewith.  In  view  of  the  uncer- 
tainty of  the  situation,  the  enigma  presented  by 
the  United  States  Government's  attitude,  and  the 
threat  that  within  forty-eight  hours  all  exchange 
of  communication  will  be  suspended,  I  deem  it 
wise  to  suggest  that  His  Majesty  hold  himself  in 
readiness  to  make  an  overpowering  naval  demon- 
stration in  these  or  Canadian  waters,  if  need 
should  arise.  I  am  sending  this  by  my  secretary, 
who  can  answer  any  questions  of  a  more  pertinent 
nature  as  well  as  I  could." 

The  letter,  written  in  the  crabbed  hand  of  the 
Ambassador,  was  slowly  read  aloud,  those  present 
straining  their  hearing  that  no  word  might  be  lost, 
and  at  its  conclusion  they  sat  dumbfounded. 

"  You  were  there,  I  believe,"  said  the  Prime 
Minister,  slowly  swinging  back  and  forth  in  his 
swivel  chair,  and  addressing  the  secretary,  "  when 
the  news  of  the  surrender  of  the  Philippines  was 
received?  " 

"  Yes,  Your  Lordship." 

"  What  excuse  had  the  Government  to  make 
for  such  unwarranted  action?  " 

"  None  whatever." 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  they  suffered  with- 
out protest  or  defense  the  surrender  of  a  fortifica- 
tion which  cost  millions  of  pounds,  was  adequately 
equipped,  and  able  to  repel  successfully  the  attack 
of  such  a  fleet  as  Japan  sent  against  it?  " 

"  Yes,  they  even  accepted  it  complacently." 

From  round  the  room  came  murmurs  of  amaze- 
ment, while  the  rustle  of  newspapers  showed  the 
anxiety  of  those  present  to  glean  what  information 
they  could  by  perusal.  Losing  their  phlegmatic 
air  of  self  possession  and  casting  official  dignity  to 
the  winds,  they  bombarded  Hillier  with  questions, 
which  in  the  main  he  was  unable  to  answer.  The 
voice  of  the  stately  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  rose 
above  the  others  in  a  sudden,  insistent  petulant 
question. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  else  worth  while?  "  he 
asked. 

"  No,"  answered  Hillier,  "  I  have  no  knowledge 
other  than  that  which  I  have  given  to  you,  and 
which  in  itself  was  gathered  elsewhere  than  from 
an  absolutely  silent  and  secretive  Government." 

The  Prime  Minister,  as  if  recognizing  their  in- 
formant's plight,  in  a  friendly  tone  of  voice  said, 
"  Mr.  Hillier,  I  presume  you  are  tired  after  your 
journey  and  would  like  to  rest  before  any  further 
discussion  of  this  subject.  I  would  suggest  that 
you  go  to  your  chambers  and  return  here  to- 


morrow." 


THE     HARNESS     OF     WAR 

"  What  sense  is  there  in  his  returning?  "  came 
the  angry  question  of  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty, 
as  the  secretary  bowed  himself  out  of  the  room. 
"  He  doesn't  even  know,  I  presume,  that  Japan  is 
already  sending  every  available  ship  she  has 
against  the  western  coast  of  America  as  fast  as 
steam  will  carry  it." 

Sending  an  invading  fleet  against  an  apparently 
passive  country  in  some  part  of  which  was  the 
woman  he  loved!  This  thought  reiterated  itself 
through  Guy's  mind  as  he  passed  down  the  cor- 
ridor and  out  into  the  din  and  movement  of  the 
street.  Where  could  she  be  now,  he  wondered, 
and  what  of  her  father?  Insane,  perhaps,  and  in- 
capable of  offering  her  protection  of  which  she 
would  stand  so  sadly  in  need  in  case  of  Japanese 
success.  The  words  of  a  letter  which  he  carried 
in  his  pocket,  and  which  to  him  was  of  more  im- 
portance than  the  dispatches  he  had  delivered, 
constantly  recurred  to  him: 

"  It  is  always  within  the  realms  of  possibility, 
when  war  is  on  a  land,  that  friends  may  never  meet 
again.  If  such  should  be  our  case,  I  pray  that  you 
will  remember  this,  even  up  to  the  last, — I  loved 
you." 

In  the  dusk  of  early  evening  an  army  of  count- 
less men  and  women  hurrying  to  the  trams,  the 
tubes,  and  the  buses,  swept  past  him  ignorant  of 
his  misery.  What  was  war  to  them  in  a  country 
5  53 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

thousands  of  miles  across  a  sea  and  in  which  per- 
haps there  was  none  bound  to  them  by  ties  of 
affection?  The  United  States  might  isolate  itself 
by  sea  and  intrench  itself  behind  cordons  of  sol- 
diers; but  he  would  go  back!  Yes,  he  would  find 
a  way  to  pass  all  their  barriers  and  gain  the  side 
of  the  woman  who  merited  his  protection  through 
her  avowed  love,  and  in  this,  her  hour  of  need, 
seemed  crying  out  to  him  across  the  uttermost 
spaces  of  the  world,  beseeching  him  to  return, — 
only  to  return! 


CHAPTER   V 

IN    SECRET    PATHS 

IPPON,  the  home  of  the  Samurai,  in 
her  adoption  of  newer  methods,  had 
not  permitted  her  secret  service  de- 
partment to  remain  in  ancient  form. 
Modeled  on  those  lines  which  had  made  the  in- 
telligence bureau  of  Russia  one  of  the  most  effect- 
ive in  the  entire  world,  and  profiting  by  the 
publicity  given  to  nearly  every  movement  of  im- 
portance in  the  United  States,  she  was  minutely 
informed  of  all  that  had  been  and  was  taking  place 
in  the  country  she  hoped  to  overcome.  She  had 
depended  upon  this  knowledge  as  a  valued  factor 
for  the  subjugation  of  the  American  colossus,  not 
foreseeing  that  a  country  capable  of  closing  its 
doors  to  the  world  would  also  find  means  to  cir- 
cumvent foreign  agents.  To  the  last  minute  she 
relied  upon  her  emissaries  in  nearly  all  the  larger 
cities  of  America  under  the  direction  of  Count 
Seigo. 

Away  back  in  the  time  of  the  Tokugawa  Sho- 
gunate,  when  the  almost  invincible  leader  Seigo 
was  an  idol  to  the  youth  of  Satsuma  to  be  top- 

55 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

pled  over  only  in  the  civil  war  of  1877,  his  son  was 
being  educated  in  a  leading  American  university. 
The  downfall  of  the  father  practically  exiled  the 
lad  in  the  United  States  until  family  and  political 
influence  had  time  to  reassert  itself,  when  by  pro- 
gressive steps  he  gained  the  good  graces  of  his 
Government  and  was  given  responsible  positions 
in  affairs  of  state.  His  knowledge  of  the  Ameri- 
can political  situation  was  complete  and  accurate, 
and  no  man  was  better  informed  on  the  strength 
and  weakness  of  the  Republic. 

It  had  been  largely  through  his  advice  that  the 
dispute  between  the  two  nations,  trivial  in  itself 
but  portentous  in  possibilities,  had  been  used  as 
a  pretext  for  war.  Thoroughly  conversant  with 
congressional  methods  in  the  United  States,  he 
had  watched  year  by  year  the  quibblings  of  legis- 
lators over  naval  bills  which  usually  ended  in  in- 
adequate appropriations.  Of  broader  mind  than 
they,  he  had  long  foreseen  that  a  country  which 
had  come  into  distant  colonial  possessions  must  of 
necessity  enlarge  its  navy  and  augment  its  effi- 
ciency, expend  money  in  unremitting  streams  for 
its  maintenance,  and  stimulate  its  men  to  seek 
individual  excellence  in  gunnery  and  drill.  He 
had  observed  the  growth  of  conceit,  which,  like 
rust  beneath  a  coat  of  paint,  led  men  to  believe 
so  devoutly  in  American  superiority  that  they 
neglected  to  analyze  the  actual  power  which  could 

56 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

positively  be  developed.  By  a  process  of  elimina- 
tion he  estimated  the  fighting  value  of  the  Ameri- 
can navy,  discarding  vessels  still  in  service  but 
obsolete,  and  others  still  on  paper  but  looked  upon 
by  the  unsophisticated  as  a  part  of  the  nation's 
strength.  National  prowess  he  regarded  as  a 
small  factor  when  granting  equality. 

Seigo's  observations  had  been  so  careful  and  his 
conclusions  so  logical,  that  reports  sent  to  and 
passed  upon  by  the  Elder  Statesmen  of  Japan  had 
led  them  to  feel  certain  of  victory  long  before  war 
was  declared.  Nor  had  his  predictions  in  the 
opening  events  been  unfulfilled.  True  he  had  not 
expected  the  abandonment  of  the  Philippines;  but 
he  had  confidently  foretold  the  period  of  torpidity, 
of  confusion  and  lack  of  cohesion,  which  had  fol- 
lowed. It  was  with  satisfaction,  therefore,  that  he 
observed  the  trend  of  events  when  hostilities  were 
finally  declared,  and  from  the  quietude  of  his  study 
saw  the  whole  country  waiting  for  the  Government 
to  act  while  apparently  it  remained  somnolent. 

The  surrender  of  the  islands  came  as  the  first 
perplexing  problem  for  which  he  could  neither 
account  nor  understand,  and  his  activities  prior 
to  that  event  were  nothing  when  compared  with 
those  subsequent.  He  was  too  adroit  ever  to  have 
appeared  as  a  laborer  in  the  limelight,  and  was 
therefore  eminently  fitted  to  drop  from  sight  at 
the  outbreak,  when  his  fellow  countrymen  were 

57 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

leaving  by  hundreds  seeking  places  of  refuge 
across  the  border  lines  north  and  south  or  embark- 
ing on  the  high  seas  for  foreign  ports.  Singularly 
enough,  race  prejudice  in  the  Eastern  States  had 
never  reached  the  point  of  acute  discrimination 
which  made  the  denizens  of  that  section  classify 
the  Japanese  and  Chinese  in  one  broad  category 
as  Orientals;  it  was  therefore  easy  for  Seigo  to 
don  the  garb  of  a  laundryman  in  the  city  of  Wash- 
ington, improvise  a  pigtail,  and  without  interrup- 
tion assume  to  pursue  this  vocation. 

Fertile  of  resource,  he  readily  discovered  that 
in  a  situation  where  anarchy  might  thrive  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  blood  red  flag  would  be  his  most 
valuable  spies.  Without  difficulty  he  allied  him- 
self with  this  element,  and  gained  a  friendly  foot- 
ing with  them  by  ostensibly  favoring  the  advance- 
ment of  their  cause  in  Russian  domains.  Their 
confidence  in  him  was  strengthened  by  the  fact 
that  he  was  accomplished  in  their  language,  which 
he  spoke  fluently,  and  was  a  liberal  contributor  to 
their  treasury. 

Having  thus  ingratiated  himself,  the  next  step 
was  made  easy.  He  selected  such  tools  from  the 
ranks  of  these  malcontents  as  seemed  best  fitted 
to  his  hands,  and  thereby  established  a  means  of 
securing  news  that  would  have  been  impossible  in 
any  other  way.  From  his  little  hovel  he  directed 
these  men  as  seemed  best,  assigning  them  to  tasks 

58 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

of  more  or  less  magnitude,  and  paying  lavishly  for 
anything  of  value;  and  to  his  obscure  place  there 
came  divers  men  when  night  time  offered  the  cloak 
of  darkness  to  the  furtive. 

Seigo's  most  valuable  ally  was  one  Meredith,  of 
English  parentage,  and  a  man  who  for  years  re- 
sided on  Cross-st.,  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  that 
unfortunate  city  whose  very  industry  and  peaceful- 
ness  had  made  it  the  gathering  place  of  the  Reds. 
Meredith  was  a  machinist  by  trade,  and  an  em- 
ployee of  a  supply  house;  so  it  was  not  surprising 
that  he  brought  news  of  strange  and  unusual 
purchases  made  through  many  sources  by  the 
United  States  Government.  In  this  there  was 
nothing  alarming,  and  it  was  rather  with  curiosity 
that  the  astute  descendant  of  a  Samurai  looked 
over  these  reports  and  vaguely  wondered  whether 
they  might  have  bearing  on  war.  He  was  suffi- 
ciently painstaking  to  ask  for  others  and  check 
them  up;  but  in  this  he  gained  nothing  beyond  the 
certainty  that  the  Navy  Department,  while  exist- 
ing in  a  state  of  seeming  stagnation,  was  inwardly 
very  active.  He  made  many  trips  to  the  points 
where  these  purchases  were  made,  but  found  them 
innocuous  in  so  far  as  he  could  reason. 

As  time  went  on,  however,  he  learned  that  the 
greater  portion  of  these  shipments  were  being  sent 
to  Miami,  Florida,  and  was  driven  to  the  final  con- 
clusion that  if  the  Government  was  active  in  any 

59 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

way  at  all,  the  key  must  be  at  the  small  city  on 
the  southeastern  coast.  News  had  leaked  through 
to  him  to  the  effect  that  the  ships  of  the  United 
States  were  scattering  out  over  many  seas  instead 
of  mobilizing  in  western  waters.  More  than  this, 
Seigo  learned  that  in  all  navy  yards  there  had  been 
a  cessation  of  work,  whereas  an  increase  would 
have  seemed  more  reasonable,  considering  the  un- 
finished state  of  several  cruisers  and  battleships. 

On  first  thought  he  attributed  this  latter  lapse 
to  one  of  the  frequent  changes  of  policy  or  a  dearth 
of  funds,  but  now,  in  view  of  these  later  shipments 
and  purchases,  he  began  to  question.  In  Wash- 
ington no  news  was  obtainable.  The  administra- 
tion was  preserving  a  wooden  front  toward  not 
only  the  world  but  its  own  people  as  well.  Con- 
gressmen and  Senators  knew  nothing  beyond  the 
declaration  of  war  and  the  empowering  of  the 
President  and  his  Cabinet  in  special  session  to  act 
for  the  country,  and  the  administration  was  appar- 
ently doing  nothing  whatever  out  of  the  regular 
routine  of  business.  It  was  this  paucity  which 
drove  the  sham  laundryman  from  his  irons  and 
away  upon  a  journey. 

His  trip  southward  was  accomplished  with 
ridiculous  ease.  He  bought  his  ticket  to  Miami 
without  being  subjected  to  interrogation,  boarded 
the  second  class  or  smoking  coach  at  the  head  of 
the  train  without  hindrance,  and  rode  away  in  un- 

60 


He  brought  news  of  strange  and  unusual  purch 


ases. 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

disturbed  solitude.  No  one  seemed  aware  or  in 
any  event  to  care  for  his  presence.  There  were  no 
attempts  at  conversation,  except  in  one  instance 
where  a  good  natured  Southerner  hailed  him  with, 
"  Hello,  John!  Going  to  start  a  wash  shop  some- 
where? "  nor  was  he  in  the  least  perturbed  save  on 
an  occasion  when  a  rough  threatened  to  tweak  his 
pigtail;  but  even  this  went  no  further  than  words. 
Everywhere  were  criticisms  of  the  conduct  of  the 
war  and  imprecations  against  the  administration. 
The  Americans  themselves  were  no  more  cog- 
nizant than  he  of  why  soldiers  had  been  stretched 
along  the  border  line,  ports  closed,  and  communi- 
cation cut  off.  The  citizens  of  the  country  itself 
were  as  mystified  as  the  Japanese,  and  frankly 
thought  the  situation  a  foolish  one.  In  all  that 
long  journey  down  the  eastern  coast  he  learned 
nothing  whatever  of  importance. 

His  delayed  train  dropped  him  off  late  at  night 
in  the  Florida  town,  and  he  was  compelled  to  seek 
lodging  with  strangers  or  to  sleep  in  the  open. 
He  chose  the  latter  course,  and  went  out  below 
the  city,  across  the  bridge,  and  toward  the  Punch 
Bowl,  where  he  found  rest  beside  the  road  till  early 
morning.  When  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  were 
filtering  through  the  great  trees  and  drenching  the 
creepers  with  light,  he  returned  to  the  city,  as- 
sisted on  his  way  by  a  kindly  farmer  who  was  driv- 
ing in  for  supplies. 

61 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

From  him  he  learned  where  the  Chinese  laun- 
dries were  situated;  but  could  gather  nothing 
whatever  confirming  his  suspicions  that  the  Gov- 
ernment was  either  in  possession  of  a  plant  at  this 
point  or  even  conducting  any  experiments  in  the 
vicinity. 

Still  disguised  and  acting  upon  what  had  been 
told  him,  he  sought  the  abode  of  the  Chinaman, 
who  was  already  sweating  over  his  tubs,  and  found 
him  amenable  to  persuasion  and  desirous  of  giving 
assistance  when  paid  considerable  sums  of  protec- 
tion money.  His  horn  of  plenty  was  a  golden  one, 
but  proved  useless  in  a  day  of  fruitless  effort,  his 
most  careful  inquiries  bringing  nothing  in  the  way 
of  return.  Tired  and  discouraged,  he  passed  the 
early  part  of  the  night  in  sleep  from  which  he  was 
aroused  by  nightmares  of  horror  and  forebodings 
of  failure,  his  mental  state  robbing  him  of  rest. 

In  the  hope  that  fatigue  would  cure  insomnia, 
he  donned  his  clothing  and  sauntered  away 
through  the  deserted  streets,  his  heavy  leather 
soles  clumping  upon  board  walks  and  across  sandy 
patches.  It  was  past  one  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  all  was  still.  He  wandered  idly  along  the 
main  thoroughfare,  and  reached  the  far  end  of  the 
town,  before  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  sound 
from  the  water  front,  where  hollowly  through  the 
stillness  a  steam  winch  was  chugging  and  sputter- 
ing as  it  toiled  away  with  its  load.  It  brought  him 

62 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

to  a  quick  halt  and  aroused  in  his  mind  a  multitude 
of  questions,  because  along  the  entire  shore  line 
of  this  great  country  no  craft  was  now  loading  and 
none  arriving,  according  to  his  knowledge.  He 
hastily  directed  his  steps  toward  the  wharves, 
stealthily  seeking  the  shadows  of  the  palm  trees, 
and  stopping  now  and  then  to  avoid  any  chance  of 
being  observed. 

Lying  against  the  pier  was  a  small  gunboat  of 
the  United  States  navy,  which  was  receiving  sup- 
plies, and  the  men  at  work  were  evidently  hurry- 
ing at  their  utmost.  The  vessel  had  not  been 
there  during  the  daylight  hours, — of  this  he  was 
certain, — hence  her  loading  at  night  could  indicate 
but  one  thing,  a  desire  for  secrecy.  His  nerves 
keyed  up  in  the  hope  of  a  discovery,  alert  and  in- 
quisitive, he  crept  close  to  the  freight  shed  where 
the  arc  lights  threw  huge  spots  of  white. 

So  this  accounted  for  the  disposal  of  those  mys- 
terious orders  which  had  been  reported  to  him  by 
Meredith  and  others!  But  where  could  they  be 
bound?  What  was  the  destination  of  this  ship 
which,  even  as  he  watched,  was  casting  off  her 
lines  preparatory  to  sailing  away  into  the  night? 

In  his  anxiety  he  was  on  the  verge  of  rushing 
out  and  trusting  to  any  convenient  pretext,  when 
a  boy  came  hurrying  past  him,  whistling  as  he  went 
and  homeward  bound.  Here  was  the  spy's  oppor- 
tunity, and  he  accepted  it.  He  hailed  the  lad,  and 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

in  pigeon  English  told  him  he  wanted  to  get 
aboard  the  vessel  if  he  could. 

"  Well,  you  can't  do  it,"  came  the  response. 
"  If  you  wanted  to  git  on,  why  didn't  you  run  after 
the  ship  instead  of  stopping  me." 

"  Where  she  go?  "  queried  Seigo. 

"  Oh,  you  want  to  know  where  she's  going  now, 
do  you,  Mr.  Chink.  Well,  a  fellow  on  the  dock 
said  she  was  going  to  Guantanamo,  and  that 
means  you  couldn't  go  on  her  if  you  wanted  to." 

Then  with  a  derisive  laugh  he  took  up  the  strain 
of  his  melody  at  exactly  the  same  place  he  had  left 
off  when  accosted,  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pock- 
ets, and  continued  his  way. 

Seigo  was  elated.  That  accounted  for  it,  then! 
The  United  States  was  playing  some  crafty  game, 
using  its  Cuban  naval  station  as  a  base;  was  con- 
ducting some  experiment  or  outfitting  some 
strange  expedition  with  necessities  that  could  not 
be  obtained  in  the  big  island  to  the  south.  The 
only  perturbing  thought  was  that  the  navy,  instead 
of  being  inactive,  had  some  secret  task  on  hand 
which  had  been  taken  away  from  home  stations. 
He  decided  he  must  return  to  Washington  with 
this  single  strand  of  information  and  there  en- 
deavor to  secure  others.  He  watched  the  lights  of 
the  ship  grow  dim,  and  then  as  furtively  as  he  had 
come  returned  to  the  home  of  the  laundryman. 

The  latter  counted  his  pay  and  wondered  why 

64 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

his  guest  departed  for  the  North  on  the  early  train 
of  that  morning.  Seigo  offered  no  explanations 
for  his  erratic  action,  and  as  he  traveled  to  Wash- 
ington he  was  in  a  gleeful  mood.  In  due  time  he 
arrived,  and  once  more  ensconced  himself  in  his 
headquarters,  hoping  within  a  few  days  to  gain 
more  complete  knowledge.  He  was  handicapped 
in  his  quest,  however,  because  he  had  no  actual 
means  of  access  to  Government  circles  where  such 
data  as  he  wished  might  best  be  obtained.  But 
again  accident  favored  him,  and  again  it  was  in 
the  night  when  he  sallied  forth. 

The  hour  was  very  late  when  Meredith  brought 
him  word  that  several  visitors  had  called  upon  the 
President,  and,  not  trusting  to  others  a  mission  so 
important,  he  took  upon  himself  the  task  of  spying 
upon  the  great  white  building  where  the  ruler  of 
the  country  lived.  From  the  darkness  of  his  alley- 
way he  emerged  into  a  broader  street,  when  an 
automobile  went  chugging  past  him,  and  then,  just 
as  it  came  beneath  the  rays  of  an  arc  light,  a  face 
leaned  to  the  window,  an  arm  was  extended  evi- 
dently for  the  purpose  of  shaking  the  ash  from  a 
cigar,  and  Seigo  shrank  back.  In  the  shivering 
white  rays  he  recognized  as  one  of  the  passengers 
in  the  machine  no  less  a  personage  than  the  Presi- 
dent, and  with  him  was  another  man  whom  he  be- 
lieved to  be  the  Secretary  of  War. 

From  down  the  road  came  the  sound  of  another 
65 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

motor,  which  in  turn  whizzed  rapidly  along,  taking 
the  same  direction  as  the  previous  car.  Seigo  was 
not  certain,  but  conjectured  that  within  it  were 
other  officials,  and,  being  a  man  of  action,  unhesi- 
tatingly dashed  after  it,  neared  the  closed  tonneau, 
and  after  a  breathless  run  succeeded  in  swinging 
himself  to  the  springs  behind,  maintaining  his 
place  by  clutching  the  overhang  of  the  fenders. 

Away  through  the  outskirts  he  rode,  hearing 
nothing  from  within  and  in  constant  danger  of 
falling  off  his  precarious  perch.  The  car  gained 
speed  until  his  peril  was  great,  for  to  be  thrown 
would  be  to  receive  certain  injury.  His  fingers 
were  strained  convulsively  in  their  effort  to  hold 
on,  and  once  he  was  almost  cast  off  by  a  sharp 
declivity  in  the  road.  Now  he  could  only  trust  to 
chance  that  the  automobile  on  which  he  rode  was 
following  that  of  the  President;  but  as  mile  after 
mile  was  reeled  off  without  a  sight  of  the  other 
machine  on  either  hand,  he  felt  assured  that  the 
party  was  all  one.  He  leaned  out  across  one  of 
the  great  rubber  tires  and  peered  ahead  to  where 
now  and  then  he  could  catch  the  glow  of  a  red 
back  lamp,  and  was  content.  His  journey  was  not 
without  discomfort,  as  the  dust  of  the  road  whirled 
upward  and  into  his  nostrils  in  stifling  volume, 
until  he  was  begrimed  and  almost  strangled;  but 
he  clung  on  grimly,  waiting  for  the  mysterious 
trip  to  end. 

66 


IN     SECRET     PATHS 

The  big  car  stopped  so  suddenly  that  he  had 
scant  time  to  loosen  his  hold,  fall  off  into  the  dirt, 
and  roll  hastily  into  a  ditch  by  the  roadside  where 
he  might  be  hidden  from  sight.  To  his  surprise 
the  vehicle  turned  through  a  gateway  into  a  field, 
where  he  heard  the  slow  crunching  of  the  great 
wheels  over  the  stubble.  He  raised  himself  to  his 
knees,  and  then  in  a  crouching  posture  essayed  to 
follow  it  in  its  wanderings,  when  he  was  arrested 
by  a  sharp  challenge,  betraying  the  fact  that 
although  the  visitors  had  been  expected  no  chance 
was  being  taken  of  entertaining  others.  Again  he 
threw  himself  on  his  face,  waiting  patiently  for 
other  sounds.  The  great  flat  before  him  showed 
dimly  in  its  yellow  bareness,  stretching  down  to 
where  the  broad  expanse  of  river  gleamed  dully, 
and  he  could  discern  other  lights  than  those  of  the 
motor  on  which  he  had  been  an  undiscovered  pas- 
senger. These  suddenly  vanished,  and  he  sur- 
mised that  the  chauffeurs  had  extinguished  them 
preparatory  to  leaving  the  cars.  He  could  trace 
out  no  other  shapes  in  the  gloom.  Not  even  a 
building  raised  its  dark  bulk  in  the  night.  He  felt 
the  necessity  of  advancing  farther. 

Foot  by  foot  he  wriggled  forward,  the  splinters 
of  the  field  imbedding  themselves  in  his  flesh  un- 
heeded, straining  every  nerve  to  avoid  making  a 
noise,  and  listening  at  intervals  in  the  hope  of 
catching  some  word  of  conversation  which  might 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

give  him  a  clew  to  the  cause  of  this  nocturnal  mis- 
sion. From  a  short  distance  ahead  came  the  mut- 
terings  of  low  pitched  voices,  and  then  a  period  of 
silence.  He  was  past  the  machines  now,  still 
crawling  carefully.  Once  more  he  paused,  when 
he  heard  a  sullen  muffled  crash  from  the  direction 
of  the  water,  and  in  an  agony  of  surprise  and  ter- 
ror rose  to  his  knees,  forgetting  that  he  might  be 
observed.  His  hands  interlocked  themselves  in 
stress  as  he  watched  in  breathless  suspense  for  a 
moment,  and  then,  almost  moaning  in  despair,  he 
crept  rapidly  back  to  the  road,  went  cautiously 
down  it  for  a  hundred  yards,  and  took  madly  to 
his  heels  with  fright. 

All  caution  was  thrown  aside,  and  as  he  ran  like 
an  insane  man  through  the  night,  with  his  over- 
worked lungs  bellowing  in  and  out  until  they  felt 
aflame,  he  burst  into  sobs,  muttering  to  himself 
again  and  again,  "  Only  the  gods  can  save  Nippon! 
The  gods  help  Nippon ! " 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   FLIGHT   OF   SEIGO 

EIGO  understood  at  last  that  the 
sleeping  eagle  was  preparing  to 
descend  from  its  aerie  with  merci- 
lessly bared  talons.  In  his  flight  to 
the  city  he  counted  every  moment  of  value,  and 
through  his  mind  went  but  one  thought:  How  to 
get  news  to  Japan  in  time  to  avert  disaster.  What 
he  had  witnessed  was  so  convincing  that  he  was 
amazed  at  the  devilish  ingenuity  of  the  Americans, 
who  had  led  the  whole  world  to  believe  them  de- 
fenseless when  they  were  in  reality  only  luring 
other  nations  on  to  their  doom.  He  was  filled  with 
resentment.  The  shoe  was  on  the  other  foot  now, 
and  it  made  a  noticeable  difference.  When  he  be- 
lieved the  United  States  powerless  to  defend  itself, 
it  had  been  only  fit  and  proper  that  Japan  should 
harry  her,  conquer  if  possible,  and  gain  conces- 
sions of  territory  and  money  indemnity;  but  with 
the  knowledge  that  the  country  was  not  only  in 
a  position  to  care  for  itself  but  also  to  conquer  an 
enemy,  he  viewed  things  in  an  entirely  different 
light. 

6  69 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

Worst  of  all,  he  realized  that  he  was  more 
largely  responsible  for  the  outburst  of  war  than 
any  other  man,  and  aside  from  the  ignominy  which 
must  be  imposed  upon  his  people  was  the  appre- 
hension of  what  might  happen  to  his  own  precious 
head  when  resentment  chanced  to  act  against  him. 
Yesterday  he  had  been  smiling,  supercilious,  and 
confident.  To-night  as  he  ran,  he  was  terrified, 
ashamed,  and  despairing. 

Information  had  come  to  him  that  the  blockade 
was  complete,  and  in  no  instance  was  he  certain 
that  any  of  his  reports  had  passed  through  the 
lines.  He  rapidly  reviewed  the  chances,  and  de- 
cided that  he  must  get  word  to  every  man  at  his 
command  to  strive  to  pass  a  warning  through  to 
Canadian  territory  where  it  might  be  cabled  to 
Japan.  He  counted,  with  Japanese  reasoning,  on 
his  ability  to  bribe  some  one  along  the  border,  for- 
getting that  when  American  patriotism  is  at  full 
tide  money  has  little  weight.  He  had  large  funds 
at  command,  and  in  a  crisis  like  this  was  ready  to 
pour  them  out  lavishly. 

His  return  to  the  Capital  was  rapid,  as  he 
strained  his  physical  powers  to  their  utmost,  and 
he  was  almost  exhausted  when  he  reached  the  sec- 
tion where  his  Chinese  ally  dwelt.  With  dragging 
steps  he  was  turning  down  a  street,  when  a  sharp 
whispered  calling  of  his  name  from  the  depths  of 
a  hallway  arrested  him.  Stepping  inside,  he  rec- 

70 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

ognized  his  friend.  The  instant  he  was  under  the 
cover  of  darkness  he  was  grasped  by  the  arm  and 
hurried  through  a  doorway  and  up  a  flight  of  stairs. 
He  would  have  remonstrated  at  this  strange  pro- 
ceeding had  not  his  conductor  mumbled,  "  Come 
fast  and  ask  nothing!  It's  your  only  chance  to 
save  your  life!  " 

Through  a  long  corridor  where  there  were  no 
lights,  out  to  a  back  porch  which  overhung  skele- 
ton like  from  the  building  in  which  the  residents 
were  evidently  all  asleep,  down  another  flight  of 
rickety  stairs,  and  into  a  vacant  space,  presumably 
a  back  yard,  he  followed.  Not  until  they  reached 
this  secluded  place  did  he  have  a  chance  to  ask 
an  explanation,  and  then,  before  he  could  formu- 
late a  question,  it  was  volunteered. 

"  The  American  secret  service  men  have  been 
after  you.  They  are  watching  the  house  inside 
and  out.  They've  seized  your  papers  and  every- 
thing else  in  the  place.  I  escaped  and  brought 
you  money  with  which  to  go." 

"But  .my  men?" 

"Arrested  as  fast  as  they  came;  taken  quietly 
away,  and  now  in  prison." 

"  Meredith  too?  " 

"  Yes,  he  was  taken  in  the  street  above." 

Seigo  gasped  in  astonishment.  "  But  there 
must  be  some  who  got  away?  " 

"  No,  not  even  one.    You're  .the  only  man  left. 

71 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

The  Americans  are  a  terrible  people.  They  have 
hoodwinked  you  until  the  time  was  ripe,  then 
reached  out  and  caught  you  all  as  a  fisherman  with 
his  net  takes  in  a  school  of  minnows.  Even  now 
they  are  waiting  for  you,  and  you'll  have  to  act 
quick  or  they  will  get  you  too." 

The  spy  felt  suddenly  that  he  had  underesti- 
mated the  enemy  completely.  An  involuntary 
shudder  contracted  his  muscles  when  he  compre- 
hended that  not  only  had  he  been  watched  until 
the  propitious  time  for  his  taking,  but  that  he  had 
been  deliberately  played  with,  an  unconscious 
mouse  beneath  the  eyes  of  a  vigilant  cat.  Worst 
of  all,  this  in  itself  was  confirmation  that  none  of 
the  later  reports  he  had  sent  out  to  Japan  had 
reached  their  destination.  Probably  every  mes- 
sage he  had  dispatched  was  now  in  the  hands  of 
the  Americans.  His  only  hope  for  conveying 
warning  to  his  countrymen  and  for  his  own  life 
depended  on  his  escape  from  the  clutches  of  these 
men,  who  could  appear  ignorant  and  torpid  when 
in  reality  they  were  advised  and  alert.  In  a  burst 
of  impotent  anger  he  shook  his  fists  at  the  stars. 
His  companion  caught  his  arm. 

"  Listen!  "  he  said.  "  You  have  but  one  chance. 
You  must  get  away  from  Washington  to-night.  I 
have  a  friend,  a  Canton  man,  who  is  a  gardener  in 
the  outskirts.  If  we  can  reach  him,  he  will  take 
you  in  his  wagon  to  a  railway  crossing  before  the 

72 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

light  comes.  There  you  can  get  aboard  a  freight 
train.'* 

"  Go  as  a  tramp?  " 

"  Yes,  because  all  other  trains  will  be  searched/' 

Seigo  shrugged  his  shoulders  in  disgust.  He 
would  have  uttered  a  protest  in  words  had  not  his 
companion  checked  him  and  continued: 

"  If  you  are  careful  you  can  get  to  Chicago, 
where  other  friends  of  mine  will  help  you.  Then 
you  must  try  to  reach  Canada  as  best  you  can." 

Seigo  hesitated  a  minute  before  deciding;  but 
it  was  obvious  that  no  better  means  was  available. 
Together  the  two  men  crept  through  alleyways 
and  back  streets  to  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  until 
they  came  to  the  hovel  where  lived  the  truck 
farmer  on  whom  they  placed  their  hope.  He,  ex- 
perienced in  the  ways  of  the  Americans  through 
long  residence  in  California,  and  standing  in  dread 
of  the  law,  was  at  first  loath  to  undertake  the  part 
assigned  to  him;  but  the  clink  of  gold  coin  over- 
came his  fears,  and  in  the  end  Seigo  sought  sleep 
in  the  bottom  of  a  covered  wagon  while  being 
driven  to  the  place  where  he  was  to  assume  a  new 
role.  He  felt  alone  and  deserted  when  the  gar- 
dener departed,  leaving  him  standing  at  an  inter- 
section of  railway  tracks  waiting  impatiently  for 
a  freight  train  on  which  he  was  to  make  his  first 
excursion  into  trampdom. 

It  came  at  last,  a  heavy  snorting  locomotive 

73 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

pulling  a  long  trailer  of  empties.  It  whistled 
shrilly  for  the  crossing,  watched  for  a  signal  from 
the  lonely  little  tower,  and  came  to  a  full  stop. 
Seigo,  with  his  heart  in  his  mouth,  clambered 
through  the  side  door  of  an  empty  car,  and  was 
soon  traveling  westward  to  the  rhythmic  clank  of 
wheels  on  rails.  Fatigue  at  last  overcame  him  and 
he  slowly  dropped  into  a  restless  sleep  in  which 
he  was  pursued  by  demons  and  confronted  by  un- 
known terrors.  He  was  aroused  by  a  brakeman, 
who  roughly  punched  him  in  the  ribs  with  the  toe 
of  his  boot  and  told  him  to  "  Hike  out! "  He  sat 
up  and  blinked  his  eyes  until  again  ordered  to 
vacate,  and  then  came  to  his  senses  sufficiently  to 
make  a  plea  for  himself,  which  was  unavailing. 
The  brakeman  was  obdurate  and  threatening,  until 
the  spy  crawled  stiffly  out. 

He  sat  wearily  down  on  a  pile  of  ties,  and  the 
brakeman,  still  watchful,  stood  in  front  until  the 
long  train  dragged  past,  then  reached  out  a  grimy 
hand,  swung  lightly  onto  the  steps  of  the  caboose, 
and  shook  his  fist  at  the  supposed  Chinaman  as 
he  disappeared.  A  tramp  of  the  most  degraded 
sort  approached  him  and  with  the  camaraderie  of 
the  homeless  dropped  into  conversation  with  him. 
Food  and  rum  made  him  an  ally,  and,  finding 
an  easy  source  of  assistance  without  effort,  the 
tramp  avowed  that  he  too  was  bound  for  Chi- 
cago. 

74 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

Under  this  expert  tutelage  the  Japanese  reached 
the  metropolis  of  the  West,  where  he  bade  his 
friend  good  by  and  sought  the  Chinese  to  whom 
he  had  letters.  Again  he  faced  a  reverse;  for 
these  men  with  one  accord  told  him  there  was 
no  possibility  of  evading  the  sentries  to  the 
north,  and  that  his  only  means  of  escape  must  of 
necessity  be  in  the  far  Northwest.  Sympathizers 
first,  but  traffickers  always,  they  mulcted  him 
of  his  money,  and  in  return  made  it  possible 
for  him  to  travel  to  Seattle.  They  bought  a 
ticket,  provided  him  with  a  Chinese  certificate 
of  entry  whose  pictured  corner  was  sufficiently 
close  in  resemblance,  and  saw  him  off  on  his 
journey. 

Time  and  again  in  that  long  trip  he  was  dragged 
out  and  compelled  to  show  his  papers,  proving 
that  he  was  always  a  suspect.  Once  a  threat  was 
made  to  hold  him  over;  but  his  persuasive  tongue 
secured  immunity  from  arrest. 

In  constant  terror  until  his  nerves  became 
shreds  to  torment  him,  alert  by  night  and  day,  he 
traversed  the  continent,  and  at  last  entered  the 
gateway  of  the  Northwest,  where  so  many  of  his 
countrymen  had  resided  prior  to  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities,  but  where  now  he  might  claim  neither 
friends  nor  sympathizers.  Here  indeed  was  a  No 
Man's  Land  where  none  extended  a  welcome. 
From  then  on  he  must  depend  entirely  on  his  own 

75 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

resources,  and  he  understood  perfectly  well  that 
he  was  nearing  a  hard  finish  of  a  long  race.  He 
lost  no  time  in  making  a  start. 

Under  the  pretext  of  going  to  a  camp  where  he 
was  to  cook,  he  induced  a  launch  that  was  starting 
out  toward  the  mouth  of  Puget  Sound  to  take  him 
aboard  as  a  passenger  and  land  him  at  its  journey's 
end  a  short  distance  from  Port  Townsend.  He 
was  dropped  off  late  in  the  evening  at  a  tiny  land- 
ing, and  later  saw  the  little  boat  speed  back  toward 
Seattle.  He  was  without  food  save  such  as  had 
been  given  him,  and  tightened  the  belt  beneath  his 
Chinese  garb  in  anticipation  of  a  hard  trip.  Un- 
used to  the  rougher  life,  he  made  painful  progress, 
and  nothing  save  his  desperation  enabled  him  to 
traverse  the  primitive  strip  between  him  and  the 
city.  Footsore  and  dependent,  he  forged  dog- 
gedly ahead,  until  at  last  by  sheer  will  power 
alone  he  gained  the  outskirts  of  the  port. 
Its  wooden  wharf  was  deserted,  and  many  of 
the  houses  were  closed  and  vacant,  the  fear  of 
Japanese  shells  and  Government  weakness  hav- 
ing driven  the  more  prosperous  inhabitants 
away. 

Thoroughly  worn  out,  he  waited  until  night  fell, 
then  crawled  into  a  coal  shed  and  slept  as  only  the 
worn  and  weary  can  sleep.  He  rose  refreshed  and 
jubilant  because  he  had  gained  thus  far  without 
accident,  hunger  being  his  only  immediate  discom- 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

fort.  From  his  depleted  store  cloth  he  extracted 
the  smallest  coin,  bent  on  seeking  food  before  the 
city  was  awake.  He  made  his  way  down  the  hill- 
side to  the  business  section  without  attracting  at- 
tention, and  entered  the  doorway  of  a  grocery 
store,  where  a  sleepy  looking  youth  was  sweeping 
away  the  previous  day's  waste.  In  broken  Eng- 
lish he  made  known  his  wants,  and  then,  rinding 
the  salesman  apparently  friendly  and  stupid,  lost 
some  of  his  native  caution  and  began  to  ask  ques- 
tions regarding  the  watch  kept  along  the  frontier. 
At  his  first  query  the  boy  looked  at  him  slyly;  but 
after  a  moment's  hesitation  fell  in  and  answered 
everything  readily,  assuring  him,  however,  that  it 
would  be  difficult  for  any  living  thing  to  get  past 
the  soldiers  who  kept  watch  and  ward  over  the 
boundary  line. 

Elated  by  the  apparent  ease  with  which  he  had 
secured  provisions,  he  again  retreated  toward  the 
edge  of  the  city,  mentally  formulating  plans  for 
stealing  a  boat  when  night  came,  and  by  this 
means  to  make  his  way  to  Vancouver,  where  he 
would  be  on  British  soil.  Had  he  looked  back  he 
would  have  seen  that  the  boy,  broom  in  hand, 
watched  him  with  an  assumption  of  mere  idle  in- 
terest for  a  moment  only,  then  hurriedly  threw  off 
his  apron,  banged  the  door  shut,  and  ran  as  fast 
as  his  legs  would  carry  him  to  a  big  building  far- 
ther down  the  street.  It  was  where  the  officials 

77 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

of  the  port  held  forth.  The  alarm  had  been 
given ! 

Seigo  rested  in  a  thicket  at  the  edge  of  a  forest 
and  partook  of  a  leisurely  breakfast,  laughing 
meanwhile  at  the  dullness  of  the  Americans  and 
the  boy  in  particular.  He  regretted  the  loss  of  his 
handkerchief,  which  he  feared  must  have  been 
dropped  in  the  grocery  store,  but  smiled  at  the 
thought  of  being  within  so  few  miles  of  a  refuge 
where  others  might  be  bought  and  where  he  could 
find  ease  and  comfort. 

From  back  of  him  a  deep  bellowing  sound  came 
faintly  through  the  trees,  and  he  wondered  what 
the  unusual  noise  could  be.  He  rose  to  his  feet, 
still  holding  a  remnant  of  food  in  his  hand,  and 
waited  for  a  repetition  of  the  noise,  which,  borne 
on  the  breeze,  was  heard  more  sharply.  Only  once 
before  had  he  ever  known  that  same  sullen  bay, 
and  then  it  was  when  as  a  visitor  in  a  southern  vil- 
lage he  had  seen  a  pack  of  hounds  followed  by 
excited  men  pass  him  in  quest  of  a  Negro  crimi- 
nal. His  memory  harked  back  to  that  time,  and 
his  hair  raised  itself  in  terror.  He  threw  away  his 
food  and  dashed  madly  into  the^  woods,  seeking  to 
escape  that  menacing  undertone  which  his  con- 
sciousness told  him  could  have  but  one  quarry. 
He  knew  in  an  instant  that  the  boy  had  betrayed 
him,  and  that  he,  Count  Seigo,  a  nobleman  of 
Japan  and  descendant  of  the  Samurai,  was  be- 

78 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

ing  hunted  by  dogs  like  a  wild  beast  of  the 
woods. 

For  a  few  minutes  he  ran  in  a  panic,  taking  no 
heed  of  direction,  and  bent  only  on  gaining  time 
to  think,  and  putting  space  between  him  and  his 
pursuers.  A  tangle  of  undergrowth  compelled  him 
to  stop  and  seek  for  avenues  through  the  wilder- 
ness. He  ran  down  what  seemed  an  old  deserted 
road;  but  on  neither  side  could  he  find  a  place 
favoring  a  change  of  course.  He  was  doubling 
back  along  the  side  of  a  triangle,  and  was  so  close 
at  one  time  to  the  hounds  that  he  momentarily 
expected  them  to  break  cover,  drop  the  scent 
afforded  by  the  handkerchief,  and  cut  across  to 
where  he  was.  He  could  even  distinguish  the 
shouts  of  the  men  behind,  continually  encouraging 
the  animals  in  the  chase,  and  heard  one  exclaim, 
"  It's  the  Jap,  all  right,  or  he  wouldn't  have  lit  out 
so  quick!  " 

His  teeth  came  together  with  a  click  at  this  con- 
firmation of  his  suspicions,  and  now  he  realized 
that  wherever  an  officer  of  the  law  was  posted 
warning  had  been  given  of  his  coming.  He  swore 
that  he  would  yet  escape,  and  urged  himself  in  the 
name  of  his  country  to  rush  ahead;  and  thus  for 
many  minutes  the  fate  of  Japan  rested  on  a  race 
between  bloodhounds  and  a  fugitive  who  tore 
headlong  through  the  undergrowth,  careless  of 
thorns  which  reached  out  and  scarred  his  face, 

79 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ripped  the  false  queue  from  his  short  cropped 
bristling  hair,  and  rent  his  clothing. 

Once,  blinded  with  perspiration,  he  plunged 
into  what  appeared  to  be  a  pathway;  but  fell 
through  a  tangle  at  the  end,  to  find  himself  beside 
a  wayside  spring.  He  gulped  three  or  four  swal- 
lows of  water  and  retraced  his  steps,  cursing  fate 
for  the  loss  of  time,  and  ran  with  renewed  energy 
down  the  roadway.  A  flash  of  reflected  light 
smote  him  in  the  eyes,  and  he  saw  that  he  had 
reached  the  water's  edge.  At  his  feet  stretched 
only  tossing  waves,  and  like  a  stag  at  bay  he  was 
driven  to  the  open. 

The  end  seemed  very  near  now;  for  back  of  him 
the  harsh  clamorings  broke  out  into  a  triumphal 
wailing  note  telling  those  behind  that  the  quarry 
had  been  sighted.  The  hounds  were  coming  on 
the  run,  and  round  the  bend  of  the  road  emerged 
an  excited  but  grimly  determined  lot  of  men  of 
that  stamp  which  makes  a  frontier,  set  jawed,  lean 
visaged,  and  running  with  the  long,  loping  stride 
of  those  who  are  accustomed  to  sustained  violent 
exertion. 

Seigo,  distracted  and  desperate,  took  a  few 
steps  in  either  direction,  uncertain  which  way  to 
turn,  and  then  discovered  but  a  short  distance 
below  a  boat  in  which  lay  a  pair  of  oars.  It 
was  the  only  way  to  gain  a  moment's  respite 
from  those  great  brutes  which,  with  bellies  low  to 

80 


THE     FLIGHT     OF     SEIGO 

the  ground,  with  lolling  jaws  and  flaming  eyes 
whose  red  he  could  discern,  were  closing  in  on 
him.  He  made  three  or  four  frantic  leaps  and 
threw  himself  into  the  craft,  shoving  it  off  almost 
as  the  animals  were  upon  him,  and  then  with 
maniacal  energy  threw  the  oars  into  the  locks  and 
bent  himself  double  pulling  against  them.  Even 
then  at  the  last  he  experienced  one  brief  moment 
of  exultation  as  he  heard  the  swish  of  parted 
waters  against  the  bow  and  saw  the  space  widen- 
ing between  him  and  the  beach  on  which  stood 
his  baffled  pursuers.  He  saw  the  men  halt  on  the 
shingle  and  heard  them  shouting  to  him;  but  never 
ceased  pulling,  hoping  and  half  believing  that  he 
could  put  himself  beyond  range.  It  was  Siego 
against  them  all  now,  and  he  began  to  glow  with 
triumph,  not  knowing  the  character  of  those  men 
of  the  West  who  still  gave  him  a  chance  for  his 
life.  Drunk  with  excitement,  he  shouted  back  a 
taunt  in  his  own  tongue. 

Two  of  the  men  on  the  beach  knelt  down  and 
aimed  their  rifles  calmly  and  steadily  at  that  mov- 
ing target  which  was  drawing  away.  They  were 
as  cool  as  they  would  have  been  if  covering  a  graz- 
ing deer  in  the  hills.  The  rising  sun  made  of  the 
Japanese  a  fair  mark,  lighting  up  even  at  that  dis- 
tance his  sneering  face.  There  were  two  quick 
puffs  of  smoke,  which  rose  simultaneously  into  the 
air  and  floated  away  in  little  wisps,  two  short  sharp 

81 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

reports,  and  Seigo  sprang  to  his  feet,  dropped  his 
hold  on  the  oars,  and  clutched  his  breast  in  agony, 
whirled  round  in  his  wildly  bobbing  craft,  and  then 
slowly  pitched  forward  and  over  into  the  waters 
of  the  sound,  his  days  of  effort  terminated  in  de- 
feat and  his  mission  at  an  end. 


CHAPTER    VII 

THE    MISSING    FLEET 

'APAN,  grown  arrogant  through  easy 
success  and  confident  of  the  su- 
premacy of  her  navy,  cast  aside  the 
cloak  of  secrecy,  and  boldly  an- 
nounced her  intention  to  attack  the  seaport  cities 
of  the  western  coast  of  America.  No  word  had 
come  from  Seigo  to  bid  her  pause.  The  most  for- 
midable armada  that  ever  sailed  the  seas,  attended 
by  lighters  that  were  to  provide  coal,  and  ac- 
companied by  transports  conveying  an  army  of 
men,  steamed  away  to  the  land  of  easy  conquest. 
In  the  hope  of  striking  terror  into  the  hearts  of 
those  they  would  subdue,  the  Japanese  announced 
their  purpose,  and  gave  a  somewhat  exaggerated 
account  of  the  forces  being  sent.  The  newspapers 
of  the  world  teemed  with  stories  of  the  sailing  of 
this  monster  fleet,  told  how  all  Japan  had  shouted 
"Banzai!"  described  the  flower  garlanded  maids 
who  sang  gay  songs,  and  pictured  the  remarkable 
modesty  and  valor  of  the  Admirals  in  command. 

In  some  quarters  of  the  globe  great  sympathy 
was  expressed  for  the  United  States,  which  appar- 

83 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ently  had  no  chance  whatever  in  such  an  unequal 
contest,  and  was  foredoomed  to  calamity  and  dis- 
solution. The  wiseacres  of  European  Powers  rose 
as  a  unit  and  told  how  for  more  than  fifty  years  it 
had  been  repeatedly  pointed  out  that  the  over-sea 
colossus  was  facing  destruction  through  neglect 
of  her  navy.  Monarchical  adherents  saw  deeper 
into  the  cause  of  a  nation's  obliteration,  asserting 
that  the  proof  had  again  been  given  to  the  world 
that  a  republican  form  of  government  was  one 
which,  by  its  very  lack  of  cohesion  and  unwieldi- 
ness,  could  not  exist. 

Other  advanced  thinkers,  who  looked  far  into 
the  future,  began  a  discussion  as  to  the  final  out- 
come, what  partition  would  be  made  of  the  con- 
quered territory,  and  whether  Japan  would  hold 
it  as  a  colony  for  her  own  surplus  population  under 
a  regulation  colonial  gubernation.  English  writ- 
ers expressed  grave  doubts  as  to  Japan's  ability 
to  conduct  colonies  successfully,  and  were  rather 
of  the  opinion  that  the  country  should  be  given  to 
Great  Britain,  whose  remarkable  success  in  India 
and  elsewhere  had  made  her  the  fountainhead  in 
this  branch  of  government.  New  maps  of  the 
world  were  published  in  the  most  progressive  peri- 
odicals, and  souvenir  buttons  were  sold  in  the 
streets  of  Tokio  depicting  a  very  valiant  little 
Japanese  soldier  kicking  Uncle  Sam  into  the  sea, 
and  taking  possession  of  his  land.  All  the  world 

84 


THE     MISSING     FLEET 

bowed  down  to  do  honor  to  the  "  brave  little 
brown  men,"  and  many  aggressive  Powers  re- 
gretted that  they  had  not  been  the  first  to  think 
of  taking  possession  of  the  United  States,  which 
their  statesmen  sometimes  spoke  of  as  being  a  nice 
little  country  and  capable  under  reasonable  rule  of 
becoming  quite  a  place. 

The  nation  under  discussion  remained  in  the 
same  astounding  condition  of  silence  and  inaction. 
At  first  it  had  seemed  that  a  clash  along  the  Cana- 
dian border  was  inevitable.  The  massing  of  such 
great  bodies  of  troops  in  such  a  position  appeared 
almost  a  threat,  and  Great  Britain  in  the  first  in- 
stance began  hurriedly  concentrating  forces  at 
points  where  they  would  be  available  in  case  of 
attack;  but  as  day  after  day  passed,  with  no  for- 
ward move  and  no  action  save  that  of  preventing 
the  passage  of  any  person  or  the  transmission  of 
any  communication,  alarm  gave  way  to  bewilder- 
ment. Canadian  secret  service  men  who  suc- 
ceeded in  entering  the  camps  of  the  soldiers  soon 
returned  to  report  that  apparently  the  troops 
knew  no  more  of  the  reason  for  their  being  sta- 
tioned there  than  did  the  world  at  large. 

In  the  meantime  there  gathered  into  the  sounds, 
bays,  and  harbors  of  foreign  ports  American  ves- 
sels of  war,  which  came  to  anchor  and  remained. 
On  board  these  ships  were  the  most  disconsolate 
body  of  officers  and  men  that  were  ever  collected 
7  85 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

in  hulls.  The  last  orders  any  of  them  had  received 
had  been  made  so  positive,  so  plain  and  unequivo- 
cal, that  they  had  no  choice  other  than  to  obey. 
They  had  been  commanded  to  gain  these  neutral 
berths  and  under  no  circumstances  to  leave  them. 
They  were  not  even  permitted  to  assume  the  slate 
color  which  betokens  war  on  the  waters,  and 
therefore  retained  their  dress  of  immaculate 
white.  They  too  seemed  under  the  ban,  and,  like 
war  dogs  in  leash,  strained  impotently  for  action. 
Nor  was  there  an  officer  in  all  these  idle  and  scat- 
tered ships  who  did  not  wish  himself  on  the  waves 
of  the  Pacific,  across  which  the  enemy's  fleet  was 
now  forging. 

The  time  advanced  until  the  Japanese  warships 
were  due  to  arrive  at  Honolulu,  where  they  were 
to  report,  coal,  and  prepare  for  the  final  struggle. 
The  cable  between  Hawaii  and  Japan,  now  in  pos- 
session of  the  Mikado's  operators,  continued  its 
daily  reports  of  most  favorable  weather;  but  still 
no  squadron  hove  in  sight. 

One  day,  two  days,  and  three,  passed  before 
Japan  felt  anxiety,  or  the  world  began  its  discus- 
sion as  to  the  cause  of  the  long  delay.  Then, 
when  the  fleet  was  more  than  a  week  overdue,  it 
became  almost  a  certainty  that  some  disaster  had 
overtaken  it,  although  from  no  section  of  the  sea 
had  there  been  a  typhoon  reported  or  anything  but 
excellent  barometric  conditions.  Ten  days  passed 

86 


THE     MISSING      FLEET 

in  this  same  way,  and  on  the  last  the  report  from 
Honolulu  was  identical  with  that  which  had  been 
made  on  all  those  previous:  "  Nothing  in  sight, 
and  nothing  arrived." 

Once  more  the  world  stood  in  expectancy,  and 
vainly  sought  the  solution  for  the  latest  enigma. 
Storms  were  eliminated;  for  no  tempest  could  have 
wiped  out  such  a  magnificent  body  of  ships  so 
effectually  as  to  leave  none  to  bear  the  sad  tidings 
to  the  nearest  port.  And  then,  as  a  full  realization 
of  what  must  have  happened  dawned  upon  the 
watching  Powers,  a  shudder  of  dread  passed 
through  them  all.  It  was  plain  that  America  had 
some  new  and  terrific  naval  strength,  some  un- 
heard of  monster  of  the  deep,  that  gave  it  the  mas- 
tery of  the  seas.  The  evolution  of  submarines  had 
been  rapid;  but  no  one  had  knowledge  of  a  craft 
that  could  steam  such  a  distance  as  would  have 
been  necessary  to  intercept  the  Japanese  before 
they  reached  Honolulu,  engage  them,  and  either 
destroy  them  completely  or  capture  and  convey 
them  to  an  American  port. 

It  must  have  been  total  destruction,  the  world 
argued,  because  in  case  of  capture  great  battle- 
ships themselves  would  scarcely  have  been  able  to 
make  the  complete  trip  to  a  Pacific  coast  on  the 
supply  of  coal  they  carried  in  their  bunkers. 
Forced  drafts  required  great  expenditure  of  fuel, 
and  never  at  any  time  had  there  been  any  other 

87 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

intention  than  of  replenishing  at  Hawaii.  It 
seemed  impossible  that  a  civilized  nation  should 
have  chosen  deliberately  to  exterminate  its  ene- 
mies by  wholesale;  and  yet  there  was  no  other 
conclusion  tenable. 

How  terrific  must  have  been  that  onslaught, 
coming  up  out  of  the  waters  of  the  sea,  and  how 
remorselessly  executed!  All  losses  of  life  in  pre- 
vious naval  engagements  sank  into  insignificance 
when  compared  with  this  sudden  and  swift  oblit- 
eration of  a  fleet  of  warships,  transports,  and  col- 
liers. It  would  be  nearly  impossible  to  spare  lives 
in  such  a  battle,  and  it  seemed  a  certainty  that  the 
great  steel  monsters  that  had  sailed  away  to  easy 
conquest  had  become  mere  metal  coffins  for  those 
who  manned  them,  and  were  now  resting  some- 
where on  the  floor  of  the  heedless  Pacific.  If  such 
was  the  case,  it  was  time  the  United  States  ceased 
to  exist  as  a  nation,  when  peopled  by  inhuman 
monsters  who  calmly  slew  their  adversaries  when 
threatened. 

Japan  was  left  a  helpless  little  island  in  the  sea, 
without  ships  to  assail  an  enemy  or  to  defend  her- 
self. Shorn  of  power  and  pride,  she  was  plunged 
as  deeply  in  mourning  as  only  a  few  weeks  before 
she  had  been  exalted  in  glory.  She  plaintively 
bewailed  the  barbarities  of  her  enemy,  and  proudly 
pointed  to  her  own  high  state  of  civilization,  which 
made  such  warfare  impossible.  She  asserted  that 

88 


THE     MISSING     FLEET 

had  she  possessed  such  monsters  of  destruction  as 
were  evidently  owned  by  the  United  States,  she 
would  have  scorned  to  use  them  without  notifying 
the  whole  world  of  her  power.  It  was  a  country 
of  desolation.  Y 

There  was  hardly  a  prominent  home  in  Japan 
which  had  not  contributed  some  member  of  its 
family  to  that  splendid  navy  which  had  sailed  so 
proudly  away  when  early  June  was  spreading  its 
flowers  over  the  Empire;  now  there  were  sobs  of 
bereavement  and  woe. 

Across  the  ancient  lands  of  the  Pharaohs  and  up 
through  the  provinces  of  Kings  there  swept  a 
unanimous  desire  for  an  explanation.  It  could 
come  from  only  one  source,— this  land  of  mystery 
which  had  cut  itself  off  from  all  the  world  and 
stood  silent,  guarding  its  secret,  and  suddenly 
grown  ominous  in  its  possibilities  and  poten- 
tialities. 

Japan,  hopeless  and  driven  to  extremities,  ap- 
pealed to  her  ally,  Great  Britain,  for  news.  She 
showed  no  cowardly  spirit  by  asking  for  aid  of 
arms,  and  sought  the  assistance  of  her  closest 
friend  only  that  she  might  gain  information.  And 
Great  Britain  after  due  consideration  responded. 

The  Premier  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada  was 
asked  in  the  interests  of  humanity  to  pass  a  com- 
munication to  the  soldiers  on  the  border,  asking 
for  particulars  of  the  destruction  of  the  Japanese 

89 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

fleet.     It  was  duly  accepted  and  forwarded,  and 
back  came  the  reply: 

"  The  United  States  has  no  report  whatever  to 
impart  on  the  subject  most  vitally  concerning  His 
Majesty's  closest  ally,  beyond  the  fact  that  the 
fleet  which  came  to  invade  the  Pacific  coast  has 
been  duly  met,  properly  vanquished,  and  rendered 
incapable  of  further  harm.  The  United  States  re- 
grets that  such  action  became  necessary,  and,  with 
all  due  respect  to  Great  Britain  and  such  other 
Powers  as  may  be  interested,  wishes  to  express  a 
disinclination  to  reply  to  any  further  communica- 
tions of  this  or  a  similar  nature." 

A  slap  in  the  face  could  have  caused  no  greater 
consternation.  The  very  terms  of  the  reply 
showed  insolence  toward  all  the  world,  and  de- 
manded explanation.  But  who  dared  attempt  it? 
What  country  was  brave  enough  to  take  the  risk 
of  meeting  those  terrible  submarines,  which  were 
capable  in  a  night  of  destroying  the  most  com- 
plete flotilla  that  ever  had  been  mobilized  and  sent 
away?  If  they  only  knew  what  form  these  mon- 
sters took,  what  dire  warning  they  gave  as  they 
advanced  to  the  attack,  there  might  be  some 
means  of  offsetting  them  or  perhaps  repelling 
them.  That  information,  at  any  cost,  must  be 
gained.  In  its  reaching  out  for  anything  which 
might  suggest  a  way,  the  British  ministry  sent  for 
Hillier. 

90 


THE     MISSING     FLEET 

Guy,  sleepless  and  worn  from  nights  and  days 
of  anxiety,  responded  to  the  call,  listlessly  wonder- 
ing what  further  information  he  could  give  as  to 
the  situation  in  America,  or  what  if  any  duty  could 
be  expected  of  him  when  the  ministry  itself  was 
unable  to  accomplish  anything. 

He  was  ushered  into  the  room  where  on  several 
previous  occasions  he  had  answered  questions,  and 
found  there  the  same  men  who  had  met  him  on 
the  day  of  his  arrival  in  London;  but  there  was  a 
different  attitude  this  time,  however,  and  the  offi- 
cials before  him  seemed  anxious  and  ill  at  ease. 
Plainly  they  were  ready  for  any  suggestion  he 
might  offer,  or  any  measure  that  might  seem 
possible. 

"  Mr.  Hillier,"  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  began, 
"  in  all  the  time  you  were  in  Washington  did  any 
rumors  or  stories  or  information  reach  you  regard- 
ing some  new  form  of  submarine  boat  projected, 
or  being  experimented  with,  by  the  United  States 
Government?  " 

At  first,  on  impulse,  he  almost  answered,  "  No  "; 
but  before  his  lips  could  formulate  the  monosylla- 
ble there  suddenly  returned  to  his  memory  several 
conversations  he  had  had  with  Dr.  Roberts  on 
this  subject,  and  also  he  recollected  that  in  one  of 
these  talks  Norma  had  participated.  There  was 
no  reason  so  far  as  he  could  think  why  he  should 
conceal  this  knowledge. 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  Yes/'  he  replied,  "  I  do  know  something  of 
the  subject,  but  nothing  tangible  or  of  value. 
That  which  recurs  to  me  is  a  conversation  I  had  a 
few  months  ago  with  a  scientific  inventor  who  is 
a  friend  of  mine." 

"  And  his  name,  pray?  " 

"  Doctor  William  Roberts." 

Every  man  in  the  room  gave  a  start  and  looked 
at  his  neighbor.  The  mention  of  the  name  seemed 
to  have  affected  them.  The  Prime  Minister  re- 
peated it  as  an  exclamation.  "  That  is  the  man," 
he  said,  "  who  is  supposed  to  have  gone  insane, 
but  who  at  one  time,  according  to  our  secret  re- 
ports, was  working  on  some  electrical  discovery 
which  might  be  utilized  for  an  improved  subma- 
rine. What  do  you  know  of  it?" 

"  I  know  only  this,"  he  said,  "  that  Dr.  Roberts 
told  me  he  believed  it  perfectly  feasible  so  to  use 
electricity  through  metal  as  to  change  its  struc- 
ture and  at  the  same  time  lessen  the  resistance,  or 
skin  friction,  through  the  water  of  a  boat  so  con- 
structed." 

"  Were  you  at  the  time  discussing  subma- 
rines? " 

"  Yes,  we  were.  The  subject  arose  through  his 
describing  certain  experiments  in  which  he  and 
his  daughter  were  then  engaged.  His  conten- 
tion was  that  a  submarine  could  never  be  made 
totally  effective  unless  it  gained  a  speed  so  far 

92 


THE     MISSING     FLEET 

beyond  anything  known  that  it  could  traverse 
great  distances  and  maneuver  with  such  rapid- 
ity that  it  would  be  practically  immune  from 
attack." 

This  then  must  be  the  solution!  and  he  read  in 
the  faces  of  his  interrogators  that  they  so  accepted 
it.  There  was  a  chorus  of  questions  which  he 
could  not  answer.  He  admitted  his  lack  of  tech- 
nical enlightenment,  and  also  that  he  had  no 
knowledge  of  what  success  had  resulted  from  the 
experiments.  Nothing  of  a  valuable  nature  had 
been  given  to  him  at  the  time  of  that  or  any  other 
conversation.  But  he  had  made  it  certain  in  the 
minds  of  his  superiors  that,  though  they  might  not 
know  the  secret  of  the  submarines  which  had  de- 
stroyed the  Japanese  fleet,  they  at  least  were  aware 
what  form  of  attack  might  be  expected  in  case 
of  war.  In  the  nature  of  things  it  could  af- 
ford no  solace;  but  it  might  assist  in  obviating 
danger. 

He  listened  to  the  discussion,  and  felt  that  he 
should  be  given  leave  to  go,  now  that  he  had  told 
all  he  knew;  but  he  was  again  brought  to  the  fore 
by  a  question. 

"  We  understand  you  are  personally  on  very 
pleasant  and  friendly  terms  with  the  President  of 
the  United  States?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  Do  you  believe  that  if  you  were  in  Washing- 

93 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ton  you  could  gain  an  audience  with  him  through 
his  friendship  and  deliver  into  his  own  hands  a 
message  from  our  Government?  " 

"  Yes,  if  I  was  in  Washington;  but  it  now  seems 
inaccessible." 

The  Prime  Minister,  to  whom  the  others  looked, 
reached  over  and  picked  up  a  paper  knife  with 
which  he  idly  tapped  on  the  table  where  lay  a  map. 
"  Mr.  Hillier,"  he  said,  "  we  are  about  to  send  you 
on  a  very  important  journey.  We  have  selected 
you  because  of  your  thorough  familiarity  with  the 
United  States,  your  perfect  knowledge  of  the 
Canadian  border  line,  and  your  ability  to  talk  per- 
sonally to  the  President  if  he  can  be  reached.  We 
are  not  at  war  with  the  United  States,  and  do  not 
believe  that  vessels  sent  by  us  would  be  attacked 
unless  war  was  declared.  In  the  interests  of  the 
national  dignity,  however,  we  are  compelled  to 
make  some  kind  of  demonstration  of  strength  off 
the  American  coast, — this  for  the  reassurance  of 
our  own  people  in  Canada,  if  for  no  other  purpose. 
We  are  going  to  send  our  most  powerful  fleet 
into  Canadian  waters,  where  it  will  be  stationed 
until  this  war  is  at  an  end.  You  recognize  the 
danger?  " 

Hillier  sat  thoughtfully  for  a  moment  and  then 
said,  "  Yes,  I  think  I  do.  You  are  afraid  that  if  a 
great  fleet  was  sent  toward  Canada  it  might  be 
misinterpreted  by  the  United  States  as  a  warlike 

94 


THE     MISSING     FLEET 

move  against  her;  there  might  be  accidents;  and 
then  our  vessels  would  disappear  as  completely  as 
did  those  of  Japan." 

"  You  are  right,"  the  minister  assented,  and  his 
companions  nodded  in  approval.  "  Now,  under 
those  circumstances  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  get 
word  through,  without  any  chance  of  miscarriage 
whatever,  fully  and  clearly  explaining  to  the 
United  States  that  this  demonstration  is  for  the 
reassurance  of  Canada;  that  it  has  no  intention  of 
interfering  with  American  affairs;  and  requesting 
that  measures  be  taken  to  prevent  its  being  at- 
tacked under  misapprehension.  If  that  message 
tlid  miscarry  or  was  delayed  in  its  delivery  to  one 
sufficiently  high  in  authority,  the  results  might  be 
fatal." 

"  And  you  wish  me  to  make  an  attempt  to 
deliver  these  advices?" 

'*  Yes,  because  we  have  tried  through  other 
agencies  and  failed.  This  time  there  must  be  no 
failure,  because  the  North  Sea  fleet  is  now  being 
mobilized  to  its  full  strength,  including  the  Dread- 
nought and  her  two  sister  ships,  and  will  sail  within 
a  week  after  your  departure.  Do  you  think  you 
can  pass  the  lines?  " 

Guy's  heart  gave  a  great  bound  of  satisfaction. 
Now  he  would  have  all  the  aid  his  Government 
could  give  to  penetrate  the  cordon  and  reach  a 
place  where  he  stood  the  best  chance  of  finding 

95 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Norma,  or  of  learning  where  she  was  and  what  had 
happened  to  her  and  her  father. 

"  No  one  can  try  harder,  sir,"  he  hastened  to 
assert,  "  and  I  believe  that  if  anyone  can  enter 
I  can." 

"  When  can  you  go?  " 

"  As  soon  as  you  are  ready." 

"  Then  let  it  be  to-night.  One  of  our  fastest 
dispatch  boats,  probably  the  Norfolk,  will  take 
you,  and  will  land  you  wherever  you  deem  it  best 
to  make  the  attempt.  I  suppose,  however,  you 
will  endeavor  to  go  through  by  way  of  Canada?  " 

He  answered  that  such  would  be  his  intention, 
shook  hands  with  them  all,  received  his  messages, 
and  left  the  chambers,  his  blood  tingling  with  the 
excitement  of  action,  and  elated  because  the  call 
of  duty  was  leading  him  back  into  the  land  where 
Norma  lived  and  might  be  found. 

In  the  chamber  he  left  behind  a  group  of  men, 
who  looked  at  each  other  and  said,  "  He  is  the 
fourth  man  to  try  it;  and  is  not  only  the  best  but 
our  last  hope." 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE   LONE   VOYAGER 

SPECIAL  train  breaking  records  for 
speed  swung  shrieking  into  the 
archway  of  the  Liverpool  station, 
and  Hillier,  carrying  nothing  but 
light  baggage,  jumped  out  of  his  compartment, 
and  walked  along  the  Queen's  Landing  to  the 
gangplank  of  the  waiting  Norfolk.  Two  men  in 
sailor's  uniform,  who  evidently  had  been  posted 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  curious  loungers  away 
from  the  boat,  halted  him,  and  were  joined  almost 
on  the  instant  by  two  officers  in  waiting.  Hillier 
recognized  one  as  a  personal  friend.  They  shook 
hands,  boarded  the  ship,  and  almost  before  their 
feet  were  planted  on  the  deck  the  landing  stage 
was  swung  into  the  air  and  she  proceeded  to  get 
under  way. 

It  was  plain  to  Hillier  that  no  time  was  to  be 
lost  in  this  transatlantic  journey;  for  before  the 
Norfolk  had  passed  out  of  the  river  she  was  work- 
ing under  forced  draught.  He  found  himself  the 
only  passenger,  and  that  instructions  had  been 
given  placing  the  destination  of  the  ship  under  his 

97 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

orders.  That  the  Government  purposed  to  spare 
no  expense  or  effort  in  assisting  him  to  a  success- 
ful conclusion  of  his  mission  was  evident.  He  was 
tired  of  hearing  of  war,  and  felt  a  secret  sense  of 
satisfaction  as  day  after  day  passed  in  respite  from 
such  news. 

Out  of  the  North  Sea,  sluggishly  rolling  in  the 
swells  and  floundering  through  the  waves,  gath- 
ered a  fleet  almost  as  powerful  as  that  which  had 
been  mobilized  by  Japan.  Other  nearby  stations 
sent  in  their  quota  of  cruisers,  torpedo  boat  de- 
stroyers, and  swift  moving  dispatch  boats.  Five 
of  the  world's  greatest  battleships  formed  the  heart 
of  this  apparently  invincible  gathering,  which  was 
to  cross  the  ocean  to  a  land  of  mystery,  always 
facing  the  possibility  of  destruction  by  a  terrible 
and  unknown  engine  of  warfare. 

The  people  of  England  were  much  divided  in 
opinion  as  to  the  advisability  of  the  Government's 
move  when  it  became  public.  A  strong  conserva- 
tive element  feared  the  danger  of  Great  Britain, 
being  involved  in  the  war  through  this  action, 
while  the  Liberal  partisans  and  jingoes  asserted 
that  it  was  the  only  method  of  upholding  the 
country's  dignity,  demonstrating  to  America  that 
England  would  do  her  best,  and  at  the  same  time 
assuring  Canada  that  the  mother  country  intended 
to  support  her  in  case  of  attack  along  her  border 
line.  That  Britannia  still  ruled  the  waves  was  gen- 


THE     LON  E     VOYAGER 

erally  doubted;  for  if  the  Americans  had  in  their 
possession  means  of  so  easily  overcoming  a  fleet 
as  important  as  that  which  Japan  had  lost,  there 
was  almost  a  certainty  that  she  could  conquer  any 
adversary  sent  against  her  on  the  water.  It  was 
no  longer  a  question  of  warfare  on  land;  for  all  the 
transports  in  the  world  would  be  powerless  against 
such  submarines  as  the  nations  now  conceded  the 
United  States  must  possess. 

Before  sailing,  the  fleet  commanders  had  been 
called  into  a  council  and  given  positive  instructions 
that  they  were  not  to  permit  themselves  to  be 
drawn  into  action  in  any  event  before  reaching 
Canada.  On  their  arrival  they  were  at  once 
to  cooperate  with  the  Dominion  Government  in 
whatever  way  seemed  advisable  at  that  time, 
and  follow  such  orders  as  might  be  given  from 
London. 

The  clearance,  however,  unlike  the  sailing  of 
that  fleet  from  Japan,  was  not  accompanied  by  any 
gala  demonstration.  It  was  rather  with  dire  mis- 
givings that  the  public  witnessed  this  departure, 
which  were  to  a  certain  extent  shared  in  by  those 
aboard  the  vessels;  and  it  was  fully  realized  that 
the  flower  of  England's  navy  might  never  return 
from  its  voyage  into  an  unknown  danger. 

The  conservative  press  lent  a  funereal  attitude 
to  the  occasion  in  its  treatment  of  the  situation, 
one  journal  declaring  that  "  England  is  sending  to 

99 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

magnificent  martyrdom  men  who  had  better  have 
been  retained  at  home  for  their  country's  good." 
Another  paper  characterized  it  as  a  "  useless  sacri- 
fice." This  became  the  general  public  opinion 
within  a  few  days,  as  reports  from  Canada  con- 
tinued gloomy  and  showed  no  prospect  of  a  rift 
within  the  clouds. 

The  music  halls,  always  an  index  to  the  popular 
view,  found  their  greatest  hits  in  topical  songs 
which  were  generally  of  the  tenor  that  the  great, 
grand,  glorious,  and  gorgeous  British  tar  had 
sailed  away  to  do  or  die — with  the  accent  on  the 
"  die."  A  general  air  of  melancholy  prevailed  over 
all  England,  and  as  the  days  went  on  and  the  fleet 
itself  got  beyond  reach  of  the  wireless  telegraph 
stations  and  far  out  on  a  deserted  ocean,  the  sen- 
timent was  one  of  acute  expectancy. 

The  Admiralty  was  advised  of  the  arrival  with- 
out incident  of  Hillier,  and  appraised  of  the  fact 
that  he  had  decided  to  make  his  attempt  to  cross 
into  the  forbidden  land  unaided.  There  was  a 
certain  sense  of  satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that 
a  good  and  efficient  man  was  on  the  ground  with 
at  least  a  chance  for  success  in  his  endeavors. 

This  beatific  state  of  mind  was  dispelled  one 
bright  afternoon,  and  England  thrown  into  a 
furore  that  scarcely  could  have  been  greater  had 
one  of  the  mysterious  submarines  appeared  off  its 

100 


THE     LONE     VOYAGER 

shores  and  begun  bombarding  the  nearest  city. 
It  was  like  an  intimation  of  disaster  delivered  in 
advance  of  more  terrible  news. 

The  black  hull  of  a  South  American  tramp 
steamer  hove  into  sight  beyond  Fastnet,  and  in- 
stituted a  rapid  interchange  of  signals.  The  men 
on  shore,  as  these  advanced,  looked  at  each  other 
with  blank  dismay,  and  then,  fearing  that  there 
had  been  a  misunderstanding,  and  failing  to  grasp 
suddenly  a  significance  so  terrible  in  its  import, 
requested  that  the  signals  be  repeated.  There 
could  be  no  doubt  of  their  correct  interpretation. 
In  one  hour  all  England  knew  beyond  cavil  that 
her  fleet  had  met  the  same  fate  as  that  which  had 
overtaken  Japan's.  The  message  in  brief  was  that 
the  Esperanta  had  picked  up  in  mid  ocean,  float- 
ing on  a  life  raft  torn  from  its  moorings,  a  sailor 
wearing  the  uniform  of  the  Dreadnought.  The 
man  was  almost  dead  from  exposure,  and  had  not 
yet  recovered  sufficiently  to  give  a  coherent  ac- 
count of  what  had  taken  place. 

No  ship  ever  sailed  into  Southampton  that  at- 
tracted the  attention  given  to  the  Esperanta. 
Trainload  after ,  trainload  of  excursionists,  farm- 
ers within  a  day's  drive,  and  pedestrians  from 
near  by  swarmed  to  Southampton,  forming  an  ex- 
cited and  almost  uncontrollable  gathering.  Tug- 
boats hastened  out  to  meet  the  incoming  steamer, 
which  carried  the  only  living  link  between  reality 
8  101 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

and  the  terrible  unknown,  and  long  lines  of  con- 
stables strove  to  hold  back  the  excited  crowd,  the 
noise  of  whose  mutterings  filled  the  air  with  an 
ominous  drone. 

Between  these  ranks  of  blue  clad  men  there 
came  four  surgeons,  carrying  on  a  stretcher  a 
wreck  of  humanity  who  laughed  insanely  and 
rolled  his  head  from  side  to  side. 

The  crowd  fell  into  an  awed  hush  as  the  litter 
passed  to  the  special  train  which  was  to  convey  this 
most  important  witness  to  a  hospital.  Next  in 
public  interest  were  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
Esperanta,  who,  feeling  themselves  in  the  lime- 
light, became  each  the  center  of  great  crowds,  to 
whom  they  recounted  as  best  they  could  the  story 
of  how  the  man  was  found. 

The  exact  details  of  this  as  given  by  the  Cap- 
tain of  the  Esperanta  to  the  ministers  of  the  Cabi- 
net who  were  summoned  threw  meager  light  upon 
the  case.  The  Esperanta  had  gone  out  of  her 
usual  course,  following  the  Gulf  Stream  to  the 
northward,  until  warned  by  an  American  cruiser 
to  take  a  more  easterly  tack.  She  had  done  so, 
thus  bringing  her  into  a  less  frequented  path  of 
travel. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  five  days  pre- 
vious to  her  reporting  at  Fastnet,  the  man  on  the 
lookout  had  sighted  an  object  which  drew  his  at- 
tention, which  at  first  he  believed  to  be  a  mere 

1 02 


THE     LONE     VOYAGER 

piece  of  untenanted  wreckage  tossing  on  the  swell. 
He  had  notified  the  Captain,  who  altered  the  ship's 
course  and  bore  down  upon  it,  only  to  learn  that 
it  was  a  life  raft  on  which  was  a  man.  A  boat  was 
lowered,  and  it  was  found  that  the  inanimate  form 
was  that  of  a  British  sailor,  on  whose  cap,  which 
had  been  thrust  beneath  a  cleat  of  the  raft,  were 
the  words  "  H.  M.  S.  Dreadnought."  The  man 
evidently  had  lashed  himself  securely  before  his 
strength  had  failed,  knowing  how  small  were  his 
chances  for  rescue,  and  how  certain  his  coming 
weakness.  When  picked  up  by  the  Esperanta  he 
was  thought  to  be  dead;  but  being  taken  aboard 
he  showed  some  signs  of  life,  and  after  hours  of 
work  recovered  sufficiently  to  give  some  slight 
hope  of  survival. 

So  terribly,  however,  had  been  his  sufferings 
from  privation  that  his  mind  seemed  unhinged, 
and  they  had  been  unable  to  gather  any  informa- 
tion from  him  save  that  of  some  overwhelming 
disaster.  He  was  now  in  the  throes  of  brain  fever, 
and  talked  only  the  speech  of  the  delirious.  His 
fragmentary  mumblings  were  beyond  all  under- 
standing; his  mind  seemed  to  be  a  confused  jum- 
ble of  hallucinations,  in  which  he  cried  for  water 
and  made  absurd  comments  on  what  was  passing 
in  his  dreams.  There  were  strangely  interwoven 
babblings  of  submarine  boats,  sea  serpents,  and 
unheard  of  monsters  which  harried  the  ship  and 

103 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

sent  her  to  her  doom.  Pitiful  exclamations  of 
helplessness  and  fear,  interjections  of  overwhelm- 
ing dread,  and  brief  snatches  of  prayer  came  from 
his  lips  throughout  all  the  days  in  which  they  had 
attended  him.  The  strangest  part  in  all  the  inci- 
dent of  picking  up  the  castaways  was  that  the 
Captain  of  the  Esperanta,  seeking  other  survivors, 
had  cruised  for  hours  in  the  vicinity;  but  had 
found  no  other  sign  of  wreckage  or  of  humanity. 
He  had  coursed  to  the  northward,  thinking  it  pos- 
sible that  the  trend  of  the  wind  had  driven  this 
lone  mariner  away  from  the  scene  of  catastrophe; 
but  the  ocean  itself  was  a  blank.  The  crest  of  no 
wave  carried  even  a  piece  of  flotsam,  nor  was  there 
anywhere  a  clew  to  the  mystery. 

The  rocking  of  the  foundations  of  the  world 
could  have  created  no  more  suspense  or  terror 
than  did  the  fear  of  this  unknown  agent  of  de- 
struction which  threatened  the  downfall  of  Gov- 
ernments and  the  eradication  of  boundary  lines. 
England  suffered  the  woes  of  the  bereaved  in  the 
certainty  that  thousands  of  men  who  were  fathers, 
brothers,  husbands,  or  friends  had  been  annihi- 
lated by  this  terrible  Republic  across  the  sea. 
From  every  throat  came  a  despairing  cry  for  re- 
taliation; but  England,  rich,  mighty,  and  powerful, 
felt  herself  without  means  of  appeasing  it.  It  was 
well  enough  to  talk  of  revenge  when  the  means 
were  at  hand;  but  the  country  in  the  face  of  this 

104 


THE     LONE     VOYAGER 

dread  enemy  was  helpless,  and  so  it  was  that  the 
bitterness  of  defeat  gave  way  to  the  hopelessness 
of  terror  when  a  calmer  and  more  judicial  spirit 
prevailed.  It  was  beginning  to  be  comprehended 
to  the  full  that  not  only  Great  Britain  in  all  her 
strength,  but  the  combined  forces  of  the  world, 
would  stand  no  chance  of  conducting  even  a  de- 
fensive war  against  the  United  States — now  be- 
come a  swordfish  ravaging  and  depopulating  the 
seas. 

In  the  meantime,  while  all  this  consternation 
prevailed  and  the  heads  of  nations,  fearful  and 
trembling,  speculated  as  to  the  outcome,  the  sailor 
from  the  Dreadnought  was  being  watched  and 
cared  for  by  the  most  distinguished  savants  and 
specialists  of  the  Old  World.  There  hovered  over 
his  bedside  through  every  minute  of  the  day  men 
dispatched  by  every  European  Power,  who  were 
doing  all  that  science  might  suggest  to  bring  this 
lone  and  stricken  mariner  back  to  sanity  and  let 
him  give  tongue  to  what  he  knew  of  this  scourge 
of  the  waters.  Hourly  bulletins  of  his  condition 
were  posted  on  street  corners,  and  round  these 
stood  men  and  women  in  suspense.  His  least 
word  was  recorded  as  of  monumental  importance, 
in  the  hope  that  from  some  cranny  of  his  wrecked 
mind  might  come  some  elucidating  phrase,  how- 
ever slight.  The  most  important  thing  that  ap- 
parently could  be  relied  upon  was  that  whatever 

105 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

the  form  of  attack  had  been,  it  was  observed  be- 
fore the  blow  was  struck.  This  was  shown  by 
his  repeatedly  exclaiming,  "  It's  coming!  It's 
coming!  It'll  get  us,  sure,  and  we  can't  fight 
back!" 

And  so  the  nations  watched  by  the  bedside  of  a 
common  sailor.  From  Japan  came  long  messages 
of  condolence  to  her  ally,  which  were  received  in 
a  spirit  of  fellow  suffering. 

The  peculiarities  of  the  situation  were  in  nowise 
lessened  by  reports  from  Canada,  where  the  troops 
still  massed  along  the  border  maintained  a  friendly 
spirit,  committed  no  acts  of  encroachment,  showed 
no  apprehension  of  war,  and  seemed  as  ignorant 
of  their  own  Government's  plans  or  what  it  had 
done  as  were  the  Canadians  themselves.  Indeed, 
their  mystification  over  the  disappearance  of  the 
Japanese  and  British  fleets  was  as  complete  as  that 
of  the  most  humble  farmer  on  the  Canadian  fron- 
tier. Their  officers,  shocked  by  the  terrific  news, 
hastened  to  give  statements  to  the  effect  that  their 
instructions  were  to  avoid  giving  offense,  as  the 
United  States  had  no  intention  of  engaging  in 
war  with  Great  Britain.  Coupled  with  the  loss 
of  the  fleet,  these  interviews  seemed  singularly 
inconsistent,  it  being  impossible  to  reconcile  an- 
nihilation on  the  sea  and  a  cry  for  peace  on 
land. 

It  was  generally  admitted  in  England  that  Can- 
106 


THE     LONE     VOYAGER 

ada  was  now  in  a  helpless  position  and  completely 
at  the  mercy  of  a  well  drilled  and  well  equipped 
army  along  her  borders,  which  was  undoubtedly 
within  constant  reach  of  supplies  and  reenforce- 
ments.  The  futility  of  any  attempt  either  to  re- 
lieve or  to  aid  her  by  sending  more  men  across 
the  Atlantic,  now  absolutely  under  the  control  of 
the  Americans,  was  obvious.  It  began  to  appear 
to  the  British  Government  that  the  United  States 
was  deliberately  planning  to  take  the  Dominion 
of  Canada  whenever  she  deemed  the  time  oppor- 
tune. That  she  could  now  do  so  at  her  own  con- 
venience was  unquestioned. 

An  exasperating  condition  was  the  attitude  of 
the  Canadians  themselves,  who,  as  far  as  appear- 
ances went,  were  in  a  state  of  the  utmost  placidity. 
Indeed,  the  farmers  along  the  border  were  prosper- 
ous and  thriving  through  the  increased  demand 
for  their  supplies,  which  the  American  quarter- 
masters purchased  liberally,  and  for  which  they  in- 
variably paid  American  gold.  It  actually  seemed 
as  if  an  era  of  good  feeling  was  being  established 
across  the  boundary.  The  loss  of  the  fleet  threat- 
ened a  rupture  for  a  brief  time;  but  the  Province, 
now  convinced  of  the  hopelessness  of  taking  an 
active  side  either  way,  showed  an  inclination  to 
stand  aloof  and  remain  absolutely  neutral.  It  was 
agreed  between  the  officials  of  the  Dominion  and 
those  of  Great  Britain  that  Canada  could  do  noth- 

107 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ing  but  endeavor  as  best  she  might  to  remain 
passive  pending  further  developments. 

This  lack  of  partisanship  proved  anything  but  an 
assistance  to  Hillier  in  his  attempt  to  break 
through  the  cordon,  and  it  was  this  as  much  as 
anything  else  that  hampered  him  in  his  mission. 


CHAPTER    IX 

BARRED   BY   BAYONETS 

'ESTED  by  his  sea  voyage,  and  glow- 
ing with  a  determination  to  win  his 
way  across  the  border,  but  with  no 
definite  idea  as  to  what  method  he 
should  pursue,  Guy  Hillier  landed  in  Montreal. 
His  first  effort  was  to  gain  what  details  he  could 
as  to  the  nature  of  the  embargo  which  had  been 
placed  on  travelers  between  the  two  countries, 
after  which  he  lost  no  time  in  personally  studying 
the  habits  of  the  border  camps.  Long  residence  in 
America  had  lessened  the  broadness  of  his  A's, 
and  with  a  little  practice  his  R's  were  almost  those 
of  the  average  New  Yorker. 

The  meager  information  he  succeeded  in  gather- 
ing was  not  altogether  trustworthy,  as  he  was  soon 
to  learn.  He  had  been  told  that  certain  Ameri- 
cans, in  Canada  at  the  time  the  line  of  blue  was 
drawn,  were  permitted  to  pass,  and  thus  regain 
their  homes,  and  on  this  he  based  his  first  sally. 
There  was  no  trouble  whatever  in  gaining  the  en- 
campments nor  in  interviewing  the  officers  in  com- 
mand of  that  section  of  the  defense.  A  smart 

109 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

appearing  sentry  passed  him  over  to  the  guardian- 
ship of  a  soldier  off  duty,  who  conducted  him  to 
one  of  the  regulation  tents  which  dotted  the  hill- 
side back  of  the  line. 

On  the  orderly's  presenting  his  card,  a  voice 
from  within  hailed,  "Come  in!"  and  he  entered 
the  little  house  of  canvas,  to  find  three  officers  en- 
gaged in  some  game  of  cards  which  he  did  not 
understand. 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you?  "  the  commander  in- 
quired, rising  from  his  camp  stool  and  still  holding 
the  visitor's  card  in  his  hand. 

"  I  am  anxious  to  cross  the  line,"  Hillier  re- 
plied. 

The  officer  laughed  and  shook  his  head.  "  I'm 
sorry,  sir,  but  we  have  had  as  high  as  a  hundred 
applications  of  this  nature  in  one  day,  and  my 
orders  forbid  my  acceding  to  any  such  re- 
quest." 

"  But  you  pass  Americans,  do  you  not?  " 

Again  the  officer  smiled  tolerantly,  replying  with 
good  nature,  "  Not  under  conditions  like  these. 
We  have  no  choice  in  the  matter.  If  you  are  an 
American,  I  thoroughly  appreciate  your  anxiety  to 
go  home;  but  I  cannot  help  you." 

It  began  to  look  less  easy.  "  Is  there  no  way 
at  all?"  asked  Hillier. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  the  officer  answered,  "  the 
prophet  Moses  leading  his  band  across  the  Red 

no 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

Sea  had   an    easier   trip   than   you    could    make 
through  our  lines." 

For  a  moment  the  courier  lost  patience,  and 
then  as  a  last  resort  he  decided  to  make  a  clean 
breast  of  his  errand.  "  Colonel,"  he  said,  "  I  am 
not  an  American;  I  am  the  secretary  of  the  British 
Embassy  in  Washington — or  was  up  to  the  time 
of  this  war.  I  come  as  a  special  messenger  from 
my  country,  bearing  important  dispatches,  which 
I  am  to  deliver  only  into  the  hands  of  His  Excel- 
lency, the  President  of  the  United  States.  The 
accomplishment  of  my  mission  may  have  a  grave 
bearing  on  this  conflict,  and  it  possibly  may  pre- 
vent bloodshed." 

The  Colonel  turned  to  one  side  and  threw 
down  the  playing  cards  which  he  had  been  hold- 
ing before  making  any  reply.  His  companions 
looked  highly  interested;  but  their  faces  gave  no 
hope. 

"  Mr.  Hillier,  there  have  been  at  least  twenty 
men  before  me  with  similar  important  messages, 
many  of  whom  have  come  direct  from  other  for- 
eign Powers.  The  first  of  these  I  took  from  them 
and  sent  forward  by  special  couriers  of  my  own. 
In  each  case  I  was  given  a  reprimand.  Come 
here,"  he  said,  and  preceded  Hillier  out  into  the 
open,  where  a  bulletin  board  was  nailed  against  a 
tree.  In  the  very  center  of  a  collection  of  orders 
pasted  thereon  was  one  which  read: 

in 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

GENERAL  ORDER  No.  27,007: 

Order  No.  16,004,  which  was  delivered  to  all 
officers,  bulletined,  and  read  to  all  men,  permits  of 
no  modification  whatever.  It  reads,  NO  MAN 
SHALL  PASS  THROUGH  THE  LINES, 
EITHER  IN  OR  OUT,  AND  UNDER  NO 
CIRCUMSTANCES  SHALL  ANY  COMMU- 
NICATION BE  PASSED,  EITHER  IN  OR 
OUT,  SAVE  ON  THE  WRITTEN  PERMIT 
DULY  SEALED  AND  SIGNED  BY  THE 
PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

"  Is  that  emphatic  enough?  "  he  asked,  turning 
to  Hillier,  who  reluctantly  admitted  that  it  al- 
lowed of  no  misinterpretation. 

"  But,"  said  the  latter  half  jokingly,  "  suppose  I 
make  a  run  for  it?  " 

"  In  that  case,  Mr.  Hillier,"  the  officer  answered 
gravely,  "  my  men  would  unhesitatingly  drill  you 
full  of  holes,  and  I  should  be  sorry  to  see  a  man 
whom  I  take  to  be  a  gentleman  make  such  an  at- 
tempt. This  may  look  like  play;  but  under- 
neath gloved  hands  along  this  border  are  the 
claws  of  war.  Don't,  please,  make  me  unsheath 
them!" 

The  secretary,  baffled,  declined  the  proffer  of  a 
drink,  and  was  promptly  escorted  back  across  the 
Canadian  lines;  but  on  the  way  he  made  new  plans. 
He  was  only  rebuffed  by  his  first  failure,  and  with 

112 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

doggedness  he  set  his  jaws  and  swore  that  by  some 
means  or  other  he  would  go  to  Washington. 
Time  was  becoming  more  and  more  valuable,  so 
much  of  it  had  been  expended  in  his  first  inquiries 
and  overtures.  He  would  now  be  driven  to  stealth 
and  disguise. 

He  returned  to  the  city,  bought  a  shabby  suit 
of  clothes  from  a  second  hand  dealer,  checked  his 
luggage  in  the  hotel,  put  the  precious  dispatches 
in  a  pocket  within  his  shirt,  and  called  for  an  auto- 
mobile. The  machine  carried  him  rapidly  down  a 
well  rolled  road  till  night  fell,  when  he  paid  the 
chauffeur,  and  as  an  additional  precaution  for  the 
sake  of  secrecy  walked  ahead  till  satisfied  that  he 
had  put  many  miles  between  himself  and  anyone 
who  might  have  observed  his  coming. 

He  had  seen  enough  during  the  day  to  be  con- 
vinced that  under  ordinary  circumstances  it  would 
be  impossible  to  pass  the  sentries,  whose  beats 
were  exceptionally  short,  and  who  formed  almost 
a  continuous  line  as  far  as  he  had  been  able  to 
observe.  His  inquiries  had  elicited  the  informa- 
tion that  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  a  small  river 
flowed  between  the  two  countries,  and  he  pur- 
posed using  this  tributary  of  the  St.  Lawrence  as 
a  means  to  gain  the  other  country.  His  plan  was 
rendered  more  tenable  because  the  moon,  being  in 
the  full,  favored  him.  The  night  itself  seemed 
most  propitious,  as  from  the  west  a  dark  bank  of 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

clouds  was  slowly  coming  forward,  promising  to 
lend  obscurity  at  a  time  when  it  should  be  most 
needed. 

Cautiously  he  proceeded  along  the  river  bank, 
gaining  a  position  in  as  close  proximity  to  the 
moving  sentries  as  he  dared,  then  slipped  off  his 
clothing,  secured  it  into  a  bundle,  and  awaited  the 
moment  of  darkness. 

At  the  very  instant  when  the  edge  of  the  cloud 
began  creeping  across  the  moon  he  lowered  him- 
self quietly  into  the  water  and  began  swimming 
toward  the  boundary  line.  In  his  days  at  Oxford 
he  had  been  an  athlete  of  note,  and  in  all  his  later 
years  had  maintained  excellent  physical  condition, 
and  was  thoroughly  at  home  in  the  water.  He 
swam  with  a  low  stroke,  catching  breath  from  the 
corner  of  his  mouth  as  he  turned  his  face  sidewise, 
and  exposing  as  little  of  himself  to  view  as  pos- 
sible. The  bundle  of  clothing  lashed  to  his  shoul- 
ders proved  something  of  an  impediment,  but 
not  sufficient  to  stay  his  progress.  The  cur- 
rent caught  him  now  and  then,  throwing  him  out 
of  his  course,  and  when  he  discovered  this  to  be 
the  case  he  was  almost  against  a  bank.  Thereafter 
he  lifted  his  head  at  intervals,  in  order  that  he 
might  remain  in  the  center  of  the  stream.  He 
surmised  that  he  was  nearing  the  line  of  sentries, 
and  elevated  his  chin  for  another  glance,  when  a 
sudden  blinding  flash  of  light  smote  him  in  the 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

eyes,  causing  him  instinctively  to  duck  his  head. 
When  he  came  up  for  air  after  swimming  for  some 
distance  under  water,  the  light  was  still  on  him, 
and  a  drawling  voice  hailed  him  from  the  shore. 

"  Stranger,  when  you  get  tired  of  swimming 
you  might  come  in.  I  guess  you'd  better,  because 
there's  four  or  five  men  up  beyond  me  might  take 
you  for  a  duck,  and  they're  all  pot  hunters." 

His  chance  was  lost.  He  wondered  why  he 
had  not  thought  of  searchlights,  and  realized  that 
nothing  but  the  brilliance  of  the  night  had  pre- 
vented their  employment  at  an  earlier  hour. 
Fairly  gritting  his  teeth  in  anger,  he  swam  to  the 
point  where  the  soldier  stood,  and  crawled  out 
upon  the  beach,  seating  himself  until  he  could 
fully  recover  from  his  effort  and  regain  his  breath. 
A  tall,  lean  man,  whose  color  emblems  showed 
him  to  be  from  Missouri,  stood  above  him,  while 
farther  back  and  at  a  higher  point  the  buzzing  of 
the  calciums  and  the  long  restless  ray  of  light 
showed  the  location  of  this  searcher  of  the  night. 
Beneath  it  he  could  dimly  discern  the  tower  like 
structure  on  which  it  was  mounted. 

"  You'd  better  get  your  clothes  on,"  suggested 
the  sentry;  "  or,  if  you  want  to,  I'll  call  one  of  the 
other  boys  and  get  him  to  lend  you  a  few  dry  duds. 
Sorry  we  couldn't  have  used  the  lights  a  little 
sooner  and  saved  you  the  trouble  of  swimming  up 
this  far  and  gettin'  all  wet;  but  the  boss  is  a  little 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

shy  on  carbons  now,  so  he  thought  he'd  make  the 
moon  work  for  an  hour  or  two  this  evening." 

Hillier,  discomfited,  started  to  don  his  wet 
clothing;  but  the  guard  insisted  in  homely  phrase 
that  he'd  be  a  heap  sight  better  off  and  run  no  risk 
of  catching  his  death  of  cold  if  he  would  just  let 
one  of  the  boys  loan  him  some  clothes  for  a  little 
while,  and  to  this  he  finally  assented.  This  infinite 
politeness  and  good  humor,  coating  inflexibility, 
was  a  little  trying. 

"  You  seem  to  keep  a  pretty  good  watch  along 
this  border,"  he  growled. 

"  Yes,  fair  to  middlin',"  the  sentry  said,  with  a 
chuckle.  "  We've  been  expecting  you  all  day 
long.  In  fact,  I  suppose  you're  being  expected 
from  here  clear  through  to  Vancouver.  You're 
the  Englishman  that's  hankering  to  go  to  Wash- 
ington." 

Hillier  turned  toward  him  in  amazement.  What 
perfection  of  espionage  was  this?  "  For  Heaven's 
sake,  man ! "  he  asked  his  captor  in  surprise, 
"  how  do  you  do  it?  " 

"  Watch  that  streak  of  light  for  a  minute,"  the 
sentry  answered,  and  as  it  leveled  its  ray  along  the 
line  he  saw  here  and  there  field  booths  with 
double  lines  of  wire  entering  and  emerging  from 
them.  "  One's  telegraph  and  telephone,  and  the 
other's  this  freak  thing  that  shows  men's  photo- 
graphs. Yes,"  he  concluded,  "  your  picture  taken 

116 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

in  five  different  positions  has  been  in  there  since 
you  first  tried  to  cross  the  line  to-day,  and  anyway 
if  you'd  got  past  us  fellows,  you'd  have  been 
picked  up  before  you  got  very  far  into  the 
interior." 

Hillier  sat  stupefied.  "  Has  anybody  ever  really 
got  across  this  line?  " 

"  Yes,  three  or  four  of  them,  here  and  there, 
mostly  out  West  where  the  hills  is  rougher;  but 
they  all  got  gathered  in  sooner  or  later.  One  of 
'em  who  tried  it  was  a  Jap,  and  the  boys  acci- 
dentally shot  him.  Another  fellow  was  an  English- 
man, who  made  it  over  from  Canada  into  Detroit, 
so  I've  heard." 

"  What  happened  to  him?  "  Hillier  asked,  sus- 
pecting that  this  was  the  first  bearer  of  the  mes- 
sage who  had  preceded  him. 

"  They  didn't  want  to  turn  him  loose,  because  he 
knew  too  much;  so  they  decided  he  was  a  vag,  and 
run  him  in  till  the  war  is  over." 

Hillier  knew  now  what  had  been  his  predeces- 
sor's fate,  but  made  no  reply. 

His  informant  after  a  pause  continued,  "  There's 
been  only  one  accident  besides  that  which  hap- 
pened to  the  Jap,  and  that  was  a  poor  devil  that 
undertook  to  go  over  in  one  of  these  newfangled 
airships.  He  certainly  got  his  tire  punctured  all 
right,  and  came  down  mighty  sudden."  The  sol- 
dier stopped  for  a  moment  and  heaved  a  long  sigh, 
9  117 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

and  then  concluded  in  a  softer  voice,  "  I  was 
awfully  sorry  for  that  fellow.  He  wa'n't  no  spy 
nor  nothing  like  that,  but  just  a  young  newspaper 
chap  doing  the  best  he  knew  how  to  get  the  goods. 
He  was  done  for  when  the  boys  picked  him  up. 
The  Colonel  felt  about  as  sorry  as  anybody  else, 
and  got  special  permission  from  the  Canadian 
Government  to  send  a  squad  back  with  him  as  a 
guard  of  honor." 

By  this  time  Hillier  had  donned  the  dry  gar- 
ments that  had  been  provided,  and  stood  awaiting 
the  further  instructions  of  his  captor.  "  Well, 
what  am  I  to  do?  "  he  inquired,  seeing  that  the 
man  stood  motionless. 

"  Oh,  you  can  go  back  across  the  line,  or  if  you 
want  to  one  of  the  boys  will  find  a  place  for  you  to 
bunk  till  morning.  You  see,  you're  kind  of  a  dis- 
tinguished guest.  We  all  had  orders  to  treat  you 
nicely,  and  the  Colonel  will  have  a  machine  here 
to  take  you  back  wherever  you  want  to  go  to- 
morrow." 

Baffled  by  vigilance  and  overcome  by  courtesy, 
the  secretary,  after  bidding  his  captor  good  by,  re- 
tired for  the  night  to  a  camp  cot  in  the  quarters  of 
a  Lieutenant  of  infantry.  It  was  long  before  he 
succumbed  to  a  sleep  of  utter  exhaustion.  He  was 
awakened  by  a  bugle  call  in  the  morning,  and 
found  his  host  shaving  himself  before  a  small  mir- 
ror suspended  from  the  tent  pole. 

118 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Hillier,"  the  officer  said. 
"  Not  quite  as  pleasant  quarters  as  the  secretary  of 
the  British  Embassy  is  entitled  to,  and  not  many 
conveniences;  but  you're  welcome  to  my  razor  if 
you'll  wait  a  minute." 

Hillier  sat  up,  rubbing  his  eyes.  Neatly 
stretched  out  on  a  camp  stool  before  him  were 
his  shabby  clothes,  improved  by  washing,  not  only 
dry  but  pressed.  He  stared  at  them  in  surprise, 
while  the  officer  laughingly  continued: 

"  Yes,  we  did  the  best  we  could  for  them;  but  I 
don't  think  you  made  a  friend  of  my  orderly,  as  he 
swears  he  has  worked  on  them  all  night  long,  and 
had  requested  a  day's  leave  on  the  strength  of  it." 

Thanking  the  officer  for  his  hospitality,  Hillier 
slowly  garbed  himself  and  stepped  through  the 
tent  fly.  Below  him  and  stretching  away  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  discern  were  gray  brown  embank- 
ments, one  line  within  the  other,  and  excavated 
with  military  precision. 

"  Intrenchments,"  came  a  voice  behind  him,  ob- 
serving his  curious  inspection.  "  We  have  to  keep 
the  boys  busy,  and  besides  the  Government  didn't 
want  to  take  any  chances.  Those  pits  stretch 
across  this  continent  now,  and  there  won't  be  any 
trouble  for  a  good  many  years  to  come  for  people 
to  tell  just  where  the  border  line  is  located.  Like 
'em?  "  he  concluded  whimsically. 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that  I  do,"  Hillier  responded 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

with  equal  good  nature;  "but  they  look  business 
like." 

"  Oh,  they're  the  goods  sure  enough,"  his  in- 
formant continued;  "but  that  isn't  all.  See  that 
little  mound  over  there?  "  and  he  pointed  a  bare 
brown  arm  over  his  guest's  shoulder.  Hillier 
nodded  assent  and  looked  inquiringly  at  his  com- 
panion. "  Behind  that  there's  a  brace  of  Catling 
guns.  Got  them  too  every  little  ways.  Never  had 
to  fire  'em  yet,  and  hope  we  never  will.  But  you 
never  can  tell.  Same  work's  been  done  along  the 
Mexican  border  line;  but  it's  easier  to  guard.  This 
war  certainly  has  educated  a  lot  of  fellows;  so  that 
when  it's  over  there'll  be  plenty  of  men  can  show 
callouses  that  were  never  decorated  with  'em 
before.  This  country's  bottled  up  now  as  tight  as 
if  the  Lord  Almighty  had  set  a  can  over  it,"  and 
he  laughed  at  his  own  joke. 

The  motor  car  was  placed  at  Hillier's  disposal  as 
promised,  and  before  night  fell  he  found  himself 
back  in  his  room  at  the  hotel,  no  worse  and  no 
better  for  his  experience.  For  ten  days  thereafter 
he  made  useless  attempts  to  forward  his  message 
by  every  means  that  his  ingenuity  could  suggest. 
Once  he  allowed  it  out  of  his  hands,  intrusting  it 
through  extremity  to  the  care  of  a  fisherman,  and 
on  the  following  day,  with  seals  unbroken,  it  was 
returned  to  him  by  a  polite  officer  of  the  United 
States  army  in  civilian  dress.  Were  it  not  for  the 

1 20 


BARRED     BY     BAYONETS 

gravity  of  his  task,  he  would  have  come  to  regard 
it  as  a  joke,  a  boy's  game  of  prisoner's  base  or  tag, 
in  which  he  was  always  "  it." 

And  then,  as  if  to  reproach  him  for  his  failure, 
there  came  from  the  clearness  of  the  sky  a  swift 
and  terrible  thunderbolt.  It  was  a  message  from 
England  reporting  the  disappearance  of  that  im- 
mense fleet  which  was  to  follow  on  his  heels,  and 
depended  upon  the  delivery  of  his  message  for  its 
immunity  from  attack.  He  had  taken  too  long! 

Stunned  by  this  overwhelming  disaster,  shud- 
dering in  each  nerve,  and  with  every  fiber  of  his 
body  quivering,  he  sought  the  seclusion  of  his 
room,  threw  himself  upon  his  bed,  and  buried 
his  face  in  the  pillows.  Repeatedly  there  ran 
through  his  mind  the  self  reproach  that  had  it  not 
been  for  his  failure  this  shocking  toll  of  war  might 
never  have  been  collected.  An  armada  of  greater 
strength  than  that  which  had  fought  off  Cape 
Trafalgar  had  sailed  gallantly  out  to  its  doom, 
trusting  to  him  to  avert  disaster,  and  he  in  this 
hour  of  stress,  when  the  fate  of  nations  hinged 
upon  his  resource,  had  proved  inefficient!  Over 
and  over  he  reviewed  the  struggle  he  had  made 
to  accomplish  his  mission,  but  found  even  in  this 
stern  self  criticism  no  flaw  of  endeavor.  But  in 
his  hour  of  bitterness  he  thought  that  God  might 
have  been  more  kind. 


121 


CHAPTER    X 

AN    EMPEROR   DISAPPEARS 

UCH  was  the  effect  of  the  strange 
happenings  of  May  and  June  that 
the  poise  of  all  Europe  seemed 
trembling  and  unstable.  Men  who 
in  all  their  lives  had  respected  law  and  society 
began  to  question  the  value  of  communal  author- 
ity, when  even  the  most  carefully  reared  power 
proved  unable  to  protect  itself  against  what  ap- 
peared to  be  only  one  invention.  Taxation  had 
created  government,  which  in  turn  had  devised 
armies  and  navies  and  expended  more  and  more 
money  in  their  equipment.  It  had  now  been 
demonstrated  that  the  discovery  of  some  one  new 
force,  some  one  engine  of  destruction  more  pow- 
erful than  any  other  known,  could  destroy  the 
values  of  navies  and  armies  in  a  day.  And  yet  in 
this  frame  of  mind,  where  anarchy  seemed  less  ter- 
rjble  and  Governments  at  best  but  weak  organiza- 
tions, the  greed  for  aggrandizement  and  conquest 
reasserted  itself. 

In   Russia   the   revolutionists   took  heart,   and 
hoped  to  possess  the  land.     In  the  Balkans,  reek- 

122 


AN     EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

ing  with  the  blood  of  past  strife,  new  forces  were 
forming  for  independence.  Rulers  of  neighboring 
Powers  studied  the  map  of  Turkey,  dreaming  of 
what  portion  might  be  seized.  China,  rehabili- 
tated for  aggression  by  Japan  herself,  regretted  a 
compact  with  the  smaller  country  which  prevented 
its  seizure,  now  that  it  was  so  terribly  weak- 
ened. 

But  the  most  threatening  attitude  of  all  was  that 
of  Germany  toward  Great  Britain.  The  Hohen- 
zollerns,  a  line  of  warriors,  still  held  the  ancient 
throne,  and  the  Kaiser  was  ambitious  for  his 
country's  advancement.  An  astute  ruler  of  excep- 
tional capacity,  he  already  had  advanced  Ger- 
many's flag  of  trade  beyond  all  seas,  and  by  this 
means  alone  practically  dominated  all  of  South 
America.  In  all  earlier  days  of  this  trade  conquest 
the  United  States  had  been  busied  in  her  home 
enterprises,  saying  to  herself  that  when  she  chose 
she  could  find  a  way  to  take  the  traffic  of  the 
southern  continent  with  ease.  With  her  eyes 
swaddled  in  silly  egotism,  she  had  waited  till  too 
late,  and  then,  when  her  bandages  were  removed, 
suddenly  learned  that  commercial  brains  were  not 
confined  to  America  alone.  The  sleeping  giant 
had  lost  commercial  supremacy  in  a  continent 
which  was  hers  by  right  of  location  and  needs,  to 
a  race  of  industrious  workers  across  the  sea. 

Nor  had  Germany  neglected  her  fight  for  trade 
123 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

at  home.  There  too  she  found  egotists,  so  swollen 
with  self  sufficiency  that  by  disastrous  tariff  meth- 
ods they  had  been  bested.  England,  failing  to  pro- 
tect its  producers,  had  driven  her  own  farmers  and 
carriers  from  the  field,  until,  as  one  disgruntled 
farmer  said,  "  You  can't  pick  up  a  cabbage  in  a 
stall  which  don't  bear  the  words  '  made  in  Ger- 
many';" and  if  a  new  crown  was  needed  for  the 
King,  Germany  would  have  stood  a  fair  chance  of 
booking  the  order.  In  a  natural  revulsion  which 
had  reached  fever  heat  before  the  Japanese  Ameri- 
can war  broke  out,  England  was  trying  to  obstruct 
this  encroachment.  The  feeling  thus  engendered 
between  the  two  nations  culminated  in  one  of  envy 
on  the  part  of  Great  Britain  and  one  of  hatred  on 
the  part  of  Germany.  The  Kaiser,  calmly  review- 
ing times  and  conditions,  decided  that  the  time 
had  come  to  strike. 

England,  with  power  sadly  diminished  through 
the  loss  of  her  great  fleet,  and  at  the  mercy  of  the 
United  States  in  her  richest  colony,  stood  open  to 
attack.  While  she  was  still  mourning  defeat,  Ger- 
many took  exception  to  the  tariff  laws  in  a  very 
carefully  worded  message.  It  was  one  that  under 
normal  circumstances  would  have  provoked  de- 
mands for  apologies,  or,  in  a  refusal  of  such,  almost 
instant  war.  But  now  the  lion  was  driven  to  tem- 
porize. That  the  Kaiser  hoped  for  an  open  rup- 
ture and  intended  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  for 

124 


AN     EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

such  an  outcome,  was  demonstrated  by  his  send- 
ing more  curtly  worded  notes. 

The  English  press  retailed  these  to  the  public, 
and  accused  the  Kaiser  of  deliberately  plotting  war 
with  a  foreign  country  to  offset  the  spread  of 
Socialism  which  threatened  him  at  home,  hoping 
by  combat  abroad  to  reunite  his  own  people. 

The  Kaiser  demanded  an  apology  from  the  Brit- 
ish press;  but  Englishmen  were  not  accustomed  to 
bending  the  knee,  even  though  the  lack  of  flexi- 
bility might  cause  the  loss  of  life.  Lacking  noth- 
ing in  bravery,  they  reluctantly  faced  a  crisis 
rather  than  brook  humiliating  domination.  Their 
answer  therefore  was  bellicose. 

Germany  at  once  began  an  ominous  assem- 
bling of  her  fleets  in  strategic  waters,  from  which 
on  a  moment's  notice  they  might  sail  forth. 
France  stood  diplomatically  aloof,  hoping  perhaps 
that  when  the  world  had  wearied  of  fighting  she 
might  be  in  a  position  to  gain  by  plunging  into  the 
fray.  Alsace  Lorraine  was  still  mourned,  and  her 
monument  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  draped. 

Then,  at  the  very  moment  when  it  seemed  that 
England  would  be  compelled  to  beat  back  an  in- 
vading army  from  her  shores,  there  came  an  un- 
expected lull.  The  British  press  had  been  pre- 
dicting a  declaration  of  war  within  twenty-four 
hours,  when  the  change  took  place.  At  the  first 
day's  delay  the  well  informed  wondered,  and  when 

125 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

two  days  had  passed,  and  finally  three,  it  became 
certain  that  some  very  unusual  event  had  taken 
place  in  Berlin. 

Rumors  began  to  creep  to  London,  to  Paris, 
and  soon  the  whole  world  knew,  despite  Germany's 
attempts  to  keep  the  matter  a  secret,  that  on  the 
very  eve  of  a  crisis  the  Kaiser,  the  most  dominant 
figure  in  Europe,  had  disappeared.  Nor  was 
that  all. 

As  if  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  it  could  have 
been  through  no  mental  aberration  that  he  had 
gone,  the  Chancellor  of  Germany  had  disappeared 
at  the  same  time.  That  something  inexplicable 
had  taken  place  was  known  within  a  few  hours 
after  the  Kaiser  and  Chancellor  were  last  seen. 
On  the  night  of  their  disappearance  they  had  been 
closeted  together  with  the  most  trusted  military 
adviser  of  the  Empire.  This  latter  officer,  fatigued 
by  duties  which  had  tried  him  beyond  his  years, 
had  left  the  consultation  at  midnight.  In  the  room 
where  it  was  held  there  was  a  telephone  used  only 
by  certain  privileged  ones  who,  by  means  of  a 
stated  signal  to  the  switchboard  operator,  could 
gain  communication.  Who  these  were  none  but 
the  Kaiser  knew. 

This  operator  told  the  secret  service  men  of  the 
Empire  that  a  few  minutes  past  midnight  he  had 
answered  a  call  and  received  the  password  which 
caused  him  to  make  the  desired  connection  with 

126 


AN      EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

the  Emperor's  telephone,  and  a  conversation  of 
some  minutes  ensued,  which,  owing  to  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  instruments,  he  was  unable  to 
hear. 

The  guards  of  the  palace  were  called  to  the 
council  room  and  instructed  by  the  Kaiser  in  per- 
son to  admit  a  man  who  would  present  a  plain 
card  within  a  few  minutes.  They  reported  that  a 
carriage  drove  up  to  the  outer  gates  and  a  gen- 
tlemanly appearing  stranger  who  spoke  perfect 
German  handed  out  a  slip  of  pasteboard  on  which 
nothing  whatever  was  printed  or  engraved.  Fear- 
ing, despite  their  master's  instructions,  that  the 
man  might  be  an  anarchist,  the  guards  had  hesi- 
tated, whereupon  the  visitor,  reading  their  sus- 
picions, told  them  that  they  might  search  him  if 
they  wished,  which  they  did.  This  was  carried  out 
with  even  more  than  customary  care,  and  the  man 
was  found  to  have  absolutely  nothing  in  his  pock- 
ets. He  was  dressed  in  the  regulation  dinner  suit, 
as  if  he  had  lately  come  from  some  club. 

Still  suspecting  something  unusual  in  such  a 
singular  visit  and  admission  at  this  hour  of  the 
morning,  the  guards  escorted  him  to  the  council 
room  and  waited  at  attention  in  the  doorway  when 
his  presence  was  announced.  To  their  surprise 
the  Emperor  smiled  as  if  in  recognition,  bade  his 
visitor  "  Good  evening  "  in  English,  and  dismissed 
the  soldiers.  Reassured  by  this  action,  the  men 

127 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

had  resumed  their  accustomed  posts,  thinking  no 
more  of  the  matter,  and  regarding  it  simply  as 
one  of  the  unusual  appointments  which  are  made 
in  such  troublous  times. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  during  all  of  which  time 
the  guard  at  the  door  had  heard  voices  in  seem- 
ing conversation  participated  in  by  the  three  per- 
sons within  the  room,  he  heard  the  Emperor  and 
the  Chancellor  burst  into  most  unusual  and  hearty 
laughter.  A  few  minutes  later  he  was  surprised 
when  the  Emperor  came  from  the  room  and  went 
to  his  dressing  chamber,  from  which  he  emerged 
in  the  plainest  of  civilian  clothing,  after  which  he 
beckoned  to  his  two  companions. 

His  Imperial  Majesty  cautioned  the  guard  to 
let  no  one  know  that  he  was  leaving,  or  of  the  noc- 
turnal visitor,  and,  still  accompanied  by  the  un- 
known man  and  the  Chancellor,  passed  from  the 
palace.  From  this  on  he  was  traced  to  the  very 
carriage  door,  which  was  closed  behind  the  party 
by  another  attendant.  The  vehicle  drove  away  in 
the  night,  the  glow  of  the  men's  cigars  being  the 
last  thing  noticed  by  the  man  who  escorted  them, 
thus  showing  that  all  were  on  very  friendly  and 
intimate  terms. 

The  conveyance  itself  was  traced  for  several 
miles  into  the  country,  through  the  fact  of  its  hav- 
ing passed  several  other  rigs.  There  was  nothing 
in  its  appearance  to  distinguish  it  from  any  other, 

128 


AN     EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

and  only  the  fact  that  the  streets  at  that  time  of 
night  were  almost  deserted  enabled  the  officers  to 
gather  any  idea  of  its  direction.  Others  had  been 
observed;  but  all  were  identified  and  accounted 
for,  and  it  was  by  a  process  of  elimination  only  that 
the  one  carrying  the  Kaiser  and  his  companions 
was  tracked.  The  return  journey  of  the  vehicle, 
if  such  there  had  been,  was  not  noticed,  and  there- 
fore led  to  the  theory  that  somewhere  within  the 
Empire  the  Kaiser  and  Chancellor  were  being 
held  prisoners. 

The  puzzling  feature  of  the  occurrence  was  that 
the  Emperor  must  have  been  acquainted  and  even 
on  terms  of  friendliness  with  the  man  who  decoyed 
him  away.  No  anarchistic  attempt  could  be  de- 
duced from  the  situation,  because  with  the  careful 
search  that  had  been  made  it  was  certain  that  there 
could  have  been  no  assassination  unless  a  most  re- 
markable concealment  had  been  made  of  all  evi- 
dences of  the  crime.  Nor  was  it  even  tenable  that 
the  party  had  crossed  the  border  line,  because  in 
a  condition  of  threatened  war  all  travelers  were 
being  closely  watched. 

Over  every  foot  of  the  Empire  and  into  the 
most  inaccessible  portions,  search  was  being  made 
for  the  place  where  the  nation's  ruler  and  the 
Chancellor  might  be  held;  but  so  far  there  had 
been  nothing  whatever  that  threw  even  the  faint- 
est ray  of  light  on  their  whereabouts.  The  at- 

129 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

tempts  of  the  secret  service  men  and  members  of 
His  Majesty's  family  to  keep  his  disappearance 
a  secret  failed,  and  indeed  was  unnecessary,  for  the 
people  themselves  had  to  be  enlisted  in  a  quest 
involving  the  whole  country. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  a  Romany  horse 
trader,  scenting  a  reward,  offered  his  services  and 
a  suggestion  to  the  police  which  was  promptly 
acted  upon.  He  described  having  met  the  car- 
riage which  was  supposed  to  have  taken  away  the 
Emperor,  and,  following  the  instincts  of  the  horse- 
man, he  scrutinized  the  animals  more  closely  than 
the  conveyance.  He  said  he  was  walking  round 
a  turn  in  the  road,  and  was  almost  run  over  be- 
fore he  had  time  to  gain  a  free  way.  One  of  the 
horses  almost  brushed  him  in  passing,  and  he  no- 
ticed not  only  a  singularity  of  gait  but  a  peculiar 
white  mark  on  the  animal's  flank. 

The  secret  service  men  had  already  become  con- 
vinced that  the  team  belonged  within  the  city,  and 
so,  as  a  forlorn  hope  rather  than  in  the  belief  that 
any  clew  would  be  gained,  they  employed  the 
Gypsy,  giving  him  license  to  adopt  whatever  means 
seemed  the  most  likely  to  discover  and  identify 
the  horse.  With  Romany  cunning,  he  immedi- 
ately secured  a  seat  facing  one  of  the  most  fash- 
ionable parkway  drives,  where  he  remained  for 
hour  after  hour,  apparently  occupied  in  smoking 
a  short  black  pipe,  and  presenting  no  marked  dif- 

130 


AN      EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

ference  in  appearance  from  that  of  a  hundred  other 
loungers. 

It  was  on  the  second  day  of  the  trader's  watch 
that  he  jumped  to  his  feet  and  excitedly  ran  after 
a  passing  turnout,  until  he  could  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  a  mounted  officer,  who  had  been  posted  on 
the  driveway  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  him  in 
case  his  quest  should  develop  anything  worth  fol- 
lowing. The  man  pointed  to  the  carriage  ahead, 
and  in  broken  German  asserted  his  conviction  that 
it  was  the  one  which  had  been  used  in  the  abduc- 
tion. The  officer,  after  giving  him  hasty  instruc- 
tions to  report  to  headquarters,  galloped  down  the 
boulevard  in  pursuit. 

Much  excitement  was  caused  by  the  Gypsy's 
story,  and  a  group  of  the  most  prominent  officials 
awaited  the  return  of  the  mounted  officer.  One 
hour  passed,  and  still  another,  before  he  appeared, 
and  suspense  by  this  time  was  at  high  pitch.  They 
began  to  look  at  the  horse  trader  with  consider- 
able suspicion,  fearing  a  canard,  and  were  almost 
on  the  point  of  sending  others  to  search  for  the 
missing  officer,  when  the  latter  appeared,  clinking 
his  spurs  across  the  tiled  floor  of  the  entryway. 
He  looked  sheepishly  about  him  before  saying 
anything,  and  then  addressing  the  Captain,  said, 
"  This  man  is  either  mistaken,  or  else  the  affair 
promises  to  be  more  serious  than  we  at  first  be- 
lieved." 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  Well,"  said  his  superior  questioningly,  "  what 
about  the  carriage?" 

The  officer  leaned  over  and  spoke  in  a  confiden- 
tial tone.  "  The  carriage  was  that  of  the  Amer- 
ican Ambassador!" 

The  Captain  started  back  as  if  paralyzed.  He 
imparted  the  news  in  an  undertone  to  his  com- 
rades in  the  room,  and  the  excitement  grew.  They 
dared  go  no  further  in  this  quest  without  consult- 
ing those  of  higher  authority,  and  gathered  into 
a  private  chamber,  taking  the  Romany  with  them, 
where  they  waited  till  they  were  joined  by  the 
supreme  head  of  the  secret  service  department. 
This  latter,  in  person,  questioned  both  the  Gypsy 
and  the  officer  who  had  followed  the  carriage. 
All  that  could  be  elicited  from  the  horse  trader 
was  that  he  had  been  accustomed  to  observe  ani- 
mals closely  all  his  life,  was  positive  that  he  could 
not  be  mistaken,  and  finally,  in  a  fit  of  sullen  wrath, 
he  swore  that  he  would  stake  his  life  on  this  having 
been  the  animal  which  passed  him  on  the  night 
of  the  Kaiser's  disappearance.  He  even  went  fur- 
ther and  asserted  that  the  harness  of  the  horses 
was  the  same  which  he  had  seen  on  that  occasion. 

The  mounted  officer  was  equally  certain  that 
the  turnout  was  that  belonging  to  the  Embassy, 
because  he  had  observed  it  before,  and  knew  the 
Ambassador  by  sight,  and  this  was  the  reason  why 
he  had  made  no  arrest.  He  said  that  he  had  been 

132 


AN     EMPEROR     DISAPPEARS 

prepared  to  do  so  when  he  overtook  the  team; 
but,  identifying  the  occupant,  decided  to  run  no 
risk  of  detaining  so  important  a  personage,  and 
contented  himself  with  following  the  carriage 
throughout  its  journey  and  till  it  was  housed.  He 
then  dismounted,  and  by  a  pretext  engaged  one 
of  the  stablemen  in  conversation,  learning  thereby 
that  the  Ambassador  had  no  horses  other  than 
these  two.  He  had  not  deemed  it  advisable  to 
make  any  further  inquiries,  for  fear  of  arousing 
suspicion. 

The  head  of  the  secret  service  department  saw 
that  he  was  facing  a  very  grave  responsibility.  He 
sent  messages  calling  together  the  most  important 
men  in  the  Government,  and  within  an  hour  the 
findings  were  laid  before  them.  They  found  them- 
selves in  a  singularly  embarrassing  predicament. 
To  take  any  action  which  might  offend  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  nation  which  was  already  engaged 
in  triumphant  war,  and  of  which  the  whole  world 
stood  in  terror  and  apprehension,  was  something 
to  be  avoided.  Even  to  suggest  to  the  Ambassa- 
dor of  the  United  States  that  he  was  suspected 
of  having  abducted  the  Kaiser,  an  act  of  lese  maj- 
esty in  itself,  was  something  which  might  arouse 
that  man  to  appeal  to  his  home  Government,  and 
topple  Germany  itself  into  an  imbroglio  which 
could  end  only  in  defeat.  The  attitude  of  Amer- 
ica, up  to  the  moment  when  communication  ceased, 
i°  133 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

had  been  friendly.  Therefore,  there  seemed  no 
logical  reason  for  her  taking  any  such  unheard  of 
action  as  that  of  interference  with  the  person  of 
His  Majesty.  The  concensus  of  opinion  was  that 
the  situation  was  too  delicate  to  admit  of  any  ordi- 
nary methods,  and  that  there  was  only  one  thing 
to  do — keep  the  .Embassy  under  constant  surveil- 
lance until  by  secret  service  methods  they  might 
learn  what  if  any  connection  the  Ambassador  or 
those  about  him  had  with  the  disappearance. 

The  Gypsy  received  the  promised  reward,  and 
from  that  hour  on  the  American  Embassy  was  un- 
ceasingly watched  day  and  night  from  without  and 
within. 


CHAPTER    XI 

A   KING   IS    LOST 

'EARIED  by  hours  of  suspense,  days 
of  anxiety,  and  nights  of  alarm,  the 
King  of  England  sought  relaxation. 
A  period  of  disaster  had  reached  its 
culmination  where  nothing  much  worse  might  be 
predicted.  Germany  had  other  occupations  than 
those  of  aggression,  and  was  now  distraught  in 
its  effort  to  find  the  missing  ruler,  from  whom  no 
word  had  been  received  and  of  whom  no  informa- 
tion had  been  obtained.  The  American  dread  had 
been  somnolent  for  days,  and  the  first  grief  for  the 
loss  of  the  great  British  fleet  had  lost  its  poign- 
ancy and  was  becoming  only  a  bitter  recollection 
to  be  calmly  discussed  and  speculated  upon.  After 
weeks  of  storm  and  stress  there  had  come  a  lull 
in  which  England  waited  for  winds  more  kind. 

London  had  lived  so  long  in  misery  that  it  had 
become  callous,  hardened,  and  enveloped  in  an  air 
of  gloom,  conditions  resembling  those  of  that 
period  of  terror  which  overspread  it  in  the  great 
plague,  but  which  led  men  by  work  and  pretense 
of  gayety  to  seek  forgetfulness.  Once  more  the 

135 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

music  halls  opened,  the  theaters  made  their  an- 
nouncements, signs  appeared  on  the  boardings, 
and  old  habits  began  in  a  sort  of  half  hearted  way 
to  resume  their  sway. 

In  this  epoch  of  abnormality  the  atmosphere 
joined  and  sent  upon  the  huge  city  a  June  fog, 
which  settled  down  in  the  night,  adding  its  black- 
ness to  that  of  the  hour.  And  through  it  in  quest 
of  relaxation  rode  England's  King.  On  leaving 
the  palace  he  had  no  definite  plan  or  destination; 
but  the  glare  of  the  theaters  lured  and  beckoned 
insistently  to  their  wealth  of  light  and  entertain- 
ment, and  he  yielded. 

His  coming  was  unheralded,  and  attention  was 
attracted  to  the  presence  only  when  the  manager, 
following  time  established  custom,  which  forbade 
the  turning  of  one's  back  upon  a  King,  preceded 
him  with  steady  bows  to  the  royal  box  and  took  his 
place  beside  the  equerry  while  the  visitor  entered. 
The  Hippodrome  was  to  be  honored.  Within  the 
box  the  royal  guest  seated  himself  behind  the  par- 
tially drawn  curtains,  where  he  could  look  out 
upon  the  bizarre  performance  and  feel  himself  near 
a  throng  of  persons.  There  was  some  satisfaction 
at  least  in  mere  proximity  to  companionship. 

With  languid  interest  and  half  absorption  he 
glanced  over  the  programme,  paying  but  small  at- 
tention to  what  it  contained.  A  herd  of  perform- 
ing elephants  galloped  clumsily  round  in  the  ring 

136 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

below,  obeying  the  shrill,  nervous  shouts  of  a 
woman  clad  in  red  tights,  and  then  sedately 
marched  out  through  an  aperture  by  the  side  of 
the  stage  when  the  act  was  ended.  A  man  clad  in 
an  ill  fitting  dress  suit,  evidently  the  heritage  from 
some  predecessor,  came  to  the  front  of  the  stage 
and  began  an  ornate,  rambling,  and  ungrammati- 
cal  speech,  announcing  some  wonderful  exhibition 
which  was  about  to  take  place.  The  monarch, 
suddenly  aware  of  the  voice,  caught  only  the  last 
words  declaring  it  to  be  the  "  great  event  of  the 
evening,"  and  leaned  back  in  his  cushioned  chair, 
his  mind  again  reverting  to  the  vicissitudes  of 
government. 

His  reverie  was  disturbed  by  a  conversation 
taking  place  at  the  door  of  his  box.  "  The  gen- 
tleman was  very  insistent  that  it  should  be  deliv- 
ered at  once,  otherwise  I  should  not  have  brought 
it,"  he  heard  the  manager  of  the  theater  say  apolo- 
getically. 

"  Is  there  no  place  in  the  world  where  I  can 
remain  undisturbed?  " .the  King  muttered  wearily, 
and  then  called  aloud,  "  Send  that  note  in,  what- 
ever it  may  be." 

With  a  salute  his  equerry  handed  him  the  mes- 
sage, which  he  idly  held  in  his  hand  for  a  few  mo- 
ments before  opening  it,  looking  half  abstractedly 
out  of  his  box  to  where  a  man  was  being  hoisted 
aloft  and  through  an  opening  in  the  arched  roof 

137 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

above.  More  or  less  indifferently  he  tore  open  the 
envelope  and  withdrew  a  card,  at  which  he  stored 
with  a  puzzled  frown,  as  if  doubting  his  senses. 
Surely  this  could  be  no  jest.  Upon  it  was  scrawled: 

"  Admiral  Robert  Bevins  of  the  United  States 
navy  desires  a  brief  audience  with  His  Majesty 
upon  matters  which  can  be  discussed  in  person 
only.  If  permissible,  may  he  enjoy  the  seclusion 
of  His  Majesty's  box?  " 

Through  the  King's  mind  passed  a  succession  of 
questions.  What  could  this  mean?  Would  anyone 
dare  perpetrate  a  joke  of  this  character,  and  if  so 
who  would  have  the  temerity?  Was  it  not  an  ab- 
surdity that  Admiral  Bevins  should  be  here  this 
night  in  a  London  theater,  when  his  country  was 
at  war  and  had  practically  thrown  the  gauntlet 
into  the  lists  of  the  civilized  world?  It  was  impos- 
sible! But  he  would  send  for  this  individual  who 
by  his  paltry  ruse  would  infringe  upon  the  privacy 
of  a  King,  and  see  for  himself  what  sort  of  fool 
he  was. 

"Show  him  in!"  he  said  to  the  equerry,  and 
then  expectantly  watched  the  door,  wondering 
whether  he  was  to  face  an  adventurer  or  an  im- 
becile. Between  the  King  and  the  officer  whose 
name  appeared  on  the  card  was  an  intimacy  of 
more  than  thirty  years'  standing.  The  name  alone 

138 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

had  sufficient  weight  to  preclude  the  curt  refusal 
of  sujph  an  extraordinary  request.  If  this  was  the 
friend  of  his  younger  days,  nothing  but  an  errand 
of  the  utmost  importance  could  have  induced  him 
to  seek  an  audience  under  such  circumstances, 
and,  on  the  contrary,  if  his  visitor  proved  to  be  a 
nonentity  or  crank,  the  guard  would  give  protec- 
tion and  summary  punishment. 

The  door  of  the  cabinet  slid  back,  and  a  grim, 
scarred,  weather  beaten  man  stood  surrounded  by 
the  royal  body  guard.  In  utter  astonishment  that 
it  should  be  the  Admiral  standing  before  him,  the 
sovereign  rose  from  his  seat  and  took  a  step  for- 
ward. 

They  stood  for  a  moment,  the  King  and  the  Ad- 
miral, and  then  slowly  grasped  each  other's  hand, 
casting  the  restraint  of  situation  and  the  difference 
of  position  completely  aside. 

"  Bevins,"  the  monarch  said,  "  for  God's  sake 
what  brings  you  here  in  a  time  like  this?  Is  there 
no  limit  to  your  daring,  and  nothing  at  which 
your  country  does  not  hesitate?  Do  you  come  as 
a  friend  or  as  an  American?  " 

"  Both,"  answered  the  officer,  standing  squarely 
on  his  feet  and  looking  steadily  into  the  gray  eyes, 
which  persistently  scrutinized  him  as  if  seeking  to 
read  the  cause  of  his  visit. 

There  came  another  instant's  pause,  and  the 
King  with  a  gesture  invited  him  to  be  seated. 

139 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

The  guard  discreetly  withdrew  and  closed  the  door 
of  the  cabinet. 

Bevins  continued:  "I  must  apologize  for  in- 
truding upon  you;  but  I  have  journeyed  a  long  way 
to  deliver  a  message  which  permits  of  no  delay/' 

"  In  an  official  capacity  then?  "  queried  the  mon- 
arch dryly. 

"  Yes,  official  and  friendly.  I  was  chosen  for 
this  mission  not  only  because  of  our  known  friend- 
ship, but  for  the  reason  that  I  could  explain  certain 
events  to  you  better  than  any  man  living." 

The  King  nearly  forgot  the  distrust  which  he 
had  felt  first,  and  almost  yielded  to  the  impulse  to 
drop  all  ceremony  and  ask  his  guest  for  an  ex- 
planation then  and  there.  He  half  rose  and  grasped 
the  arms  of  his  chair.  His  lips  opened  to  interro- 
gate, and  then,  his  life's  training  and  restraint  re- 
suming their  hold,  his  tongue  gave  a  dry  click,  and 
he  again  assumed  a  posture  of  repose.  It  was  dif- 
ficult to  assume  an  air  of  complacence  when  every 
instinct  of  King  and  man  called  out  to  him  to  ask 
impetuously  the  one  before  him  for  the  unraveling 
of  the  skein  of  events  and  the  story  of  the  fate  of 
the  British  fleet.  He  veiled  his  curiosity,  his  emo- 
tion, and  his  excitement  behind  a  mask  of  polite 
reserve. 

But  what  was  coming  next?  His  visitor  who 
had  hesitated,  now  went  on.  "  This  is  no  time  nor 
place  for  me  to  say  what  I  have  to;  but  as  an  emis- 

140 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

sary  of  my  Government  I  am  asked  to  induce  you, 
your  Prime  Minister,  and  the  first  Lord  of  the  Ad- 
miralty to  grant  me  a  private  audience." 

The  King,  impatient,  curious,  and  anxious,  was 
yet  relieved  by  what  he  heard.  There  was  nothing 
very  unusual  in  a  request  for  a  private  audience 
under  such  circumstances,  and  he  had  hope  that 
from  it  would  come  elucidation  of  all  which  he 
most  wished  to  know.  The  morrow  then  would  at 
least  bring  some  ease  of  mind  and  some  relief  from 
uncertainty.  Before  he  could  reply  the  voice 
resumed: 

"  The  audience  must  be  granted  to-night." 

"  To-night,  to-night!"  The  sovereign  forgot 
his  aplomb,  leaned  his  body  toward  his  companion, 
and  thrust  his  chin  forward.  There  had  been 
something  in  the  use  of  the  word  "  must  "  and  the 
astonishing  declaration  that  the  interview  should 
be  conceded  at  once  that  aroused  a  little  spark  of 
resentment.  And  yet  he  was  filled  with  a  curiosity 
akin  to  anger. 

The  Admiral  was  quick  to  read  his  royal  host's 
annoyance,  and  hastened  to  conciliate.  "  Your 
Majesty,  as  your  friend  I  ask  you  not  to  miscon- 
strue anything  I  may  say.  I  am  asking  as  a  favor 
that  I  be  allowed  my  own  time  and  way, — yes,  that 
I  even  may  be  permitted  to  suggest  the  conditions 
of  the  meeting.  Believe  me,  it  is  for  the  best." 

The  King  was  motionless  and  speechless  for 
141 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

what  seemed  a  long  time.  From  his  viewpoint  of 
head  of  a  nation  and  bound  to  maintain  its  dignity, 
and  a  man  with  a  man's  anxieties  and  anxious  to 
learn  from  a  friend's  lips  the  story  of  the  last 
month's  secrets  and  disasters,  he  was  considering 
what  was  best  to  do. 

In  an  oddly  repressed  tone  he  answered  with 
another  tentative  question.  "  As  a  friend  I  re- 
ceived you  in  my  box,  and  now  on  this  same  basis 
I  ask  you  if  this  communication  of  yours  is  so  im- 
portant and  urgent  that  it  cannot  take  its  due 
course  according  to  official  custom." 

"  Beyond  official  ways,  Your  Majesty,  impera- 
tive and  urgent,"  was  the  response;  "  otherwise  I 
should  not  have  chosen  this  unusual  method  of  ap- 
proaching you,  nor  asked  for  such  an  unusual  audi- 
ence in  such  haste  and  at  such  an  unseemly  hour." 

To  summon  a  King,  a  Prime  Minister,  and  the 
highest  official  of  the  earth's  most  mighty  navy  to 
a  private  interview  at  midnight!  Even  in  times 
like  these  it  seemed  preposterously  impudent;  but 
this  man  came  as  a  friend  from  the  land  of  silent 
terror  which  threatened  to  conquer  the  world,  was 
undoubtedly  in  deadly  earnest,  and  was  a  means 
of  information  between  what  had  actually  hap- 
pened and  what  was  to  come. 

"  '  Time  will  not  wait,  even  for  Kings/  "  quoted 
the  monarch  with  some  undershade  of  bitterness, 
and  from  his  guest  came  the  whispered  return: 

142 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

"  No,  time  cannot  wait,  even  for  Kings." 

The  monarch  slowly  settled  back  into  the  hol- 
lowed depths  of  his  chair  and,  as  if  seeking  a  mo- 
ment's respite  to  review  the  situation,  looked 
upward  at  the  hangings  of  his  box  and  then  out 
toward  the  garish  lights  of  the  stage.  The  hush  of 
expectancy  over  the  house  had  reached  a  climax 
of  intensity,  and  the  master  of  ceremonies  in  a 
raucous  voice  was  shouting  toward  the  roof  in 
deliberately  prolonged  tones,  "  Are — you — all — 
ready?  "  From  somewhere  above  them  came  a 
faint  response,  "  Yes  ";  and  then  with  speed  gath- 
ered by  its  long  flight  through  the  air  there  came 
flashing  comet  like  from  high  above  an  extended 
splotch  of  white,  the  sound  of  a  sharp  splash,  and 
a  burst  of  applause  as  the  "  event  of  the  evening," 
a  high  dive,  was  consummated.  Neither  occupant 
of  the  royal  box  paid  any  attention  to  this  feat. 
Bevins  remained  in  an  attitude  of  expectancy, 
waiting  for  the  King's  next  words.  The  success 
or  failure  of  his  enterprise  might  depend  upon 
them,  and  in  this  light  they  seemed  of  almost 
tragic  consequence. 

"  What  do  you  propose?  "  the  ruler  asked,  again 
facing  the  Admiral  as  though  there  had  been  no 
lapse  of  time;  and  the  other,  relieved  by  this  sign 
of  assent,  gave  an  involuntary  and  deep  drawn  sigh 
of  relaxation. 

"  If  Your  Majesty  will  be  so  kind,  I  think  it  best 
143 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

that  I  should  meet  you  in  the  palace  within  an 
hour  after  your  departure  from  this  theater.  That 
will  give  leeway  for  the  other  gentlemen  to  re- 
spond to  the  summons  and  be  there  at  the 
appointed  time." 

The  band  struck  up  "  God  Save  the  King,"  in 
token  of  the  closing  of  the  performance,  and  from 
where  they  were  they  could  see  the  audience 
standing,  in  total  ignorance  of  the  presence  of 
His  Majesty  and  unaware  of  the  fact  that  a  mo- 
mentous interview,  involving  life  and  death,  peace 
and  war,  and  the  welfare  of  empire  was  being 
conducted  in  a  tiny  overhanging  box  above  them, 
while  a  leering  mask  of  tragedy  stared  hollow 
eyed  from  the  stage  as  if  in  mockery.  The 
King  and  the  Admiral  were  both  on  their 
feet,  the  one  looking  absent  mindedly  through 
an  aperture,  his  mind  concentrated  on  the  deci- 
sion he  must  make,  and  the  other  watching  and 
waiting  with  breathless  suspense.  Below  the 
throng  began  a  steady  movement  toward  the 
exits,  constantly  dissipating  itself,  and  the  house 
was  almost  emptied  before  the  officer  had  his 
reply. 

"  Very  well,  you  may  come,  and  I  shall  have  the 
others  sent  for  at  once." 

Bevins  gave  a  quick  start  of  exultation;  but  his 
companion  continued  without  a  pause: 

"  I  shall  be  there  within  half  an  hour,  and  shall 
144 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

instruct  the  guard  at  the  outer  gate  to  admit  you 
immediately  on  your  arrival.'' 

His  companion  held  up  a  hand  as  if  forgetting 
something.  "  If  Your  Majesty  pleases,  I  should 
prefer  that  you  instruct  the  guard  at  the  private 
entrance  leading  from  the  garden  in  the  rear." 

To  this  also  the  King  acceded,  attributing  it  to 
a  desire  for  concealment  on  the  part  of  his  com- 
panion; who  almost  at  once  made  his  adieu,  passed 
out  beyond  the  curtains,  through  the  door,  and 
joined  the  last  of  the  lagging  crowd.  The  fog  had 
not  abated,  but  seemed  even  more  impenetrable 
than  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  evening  and  ren- 
dered traffic  more  difficult.  Here  and  there  came 
the  glow  and  halation  of  an  arc  light,  dimly  show- 
ing through  a  veil  and  lighting  up  a  tiny  radius 
in  the  gloom.  A  constable  kept  calling,  "  Keep 
close  to  the  wall!  Keep  close  to  the  wall!"  his 
voice  sounding  from  a  long  distance  and  muffled. 
Cabmen  were  insistently  shouting,  and  when 
Bevins  came  to  the  first  street  cro*ssing  he  was 
almost  run  down  by  a  slow  moving  automobile 
whose  eyes  stared  at  him  suddenly  like  those  of  a 
great  beetle.  It  was  the  King  driving  to  his  resi- 
dence. 

At  Buckingham  Palace,  where  the  royal  banner 
was  hanging  sodden  from  its  staff,  the  guards, 
with  busbys  coated  with  the  perspiration  of  the 
night,  tramped  briskly  to  and  fro  at  the  great  iron 

145 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

gates  in  front  as  well  as  past  the  gates  of  the  gar- 
den on  Buckingham  road,  a  half  mile  in  the  rear. 
The  time  of  the  appointment  was  past  when  the 
guard  at  the  private  entrance  received  the  ex- 
pected visitor  with  a  comment  of  surprise  and 
apology  that  he  had  not  been  accompanied 
through  the  gardens  by  the  farther  sentries. 

"  Very  thoughtless  and  unusual,  sir,"  he  said, 
"  and  I'll  report  them  at  once." 

"  No,  no,  don't  do  that,"  Bevins  hastily  re- 
quested. "  I  wished  to  come  alone.  By  His  Maj- 
esty's permission,"  he  added,  and  the  man  con- 
ducted him  to  the  private  audience  chamber, 
where  he  was  given  a  seat. 

The  Prime  Minister  entered  only  a  few  minutes 
later,  and  stared  hard  at  Bevins,  evidently  trying 
to  recall  whether  or  not  they  had  met  before,  and 
seeming  to  remember"  something  familiar  in  the 
face.  They  waited  without  speaking  until  the 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty  appeared,  showing  from  his 
garb  that  he  had  been  compelled  to  hasten  his 
coming;  and  then  came  the  King. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  others, 
"  this  is  Admiral  Robert  Bevins  of  the  United 
States  navy." 

Had  he  said,  "  Gentlemen,  here  is  an  assassin 
with  a  pocketful  of  bombs,"  the  effect  on  the  mem- 
bers of  his  Cabinet  could  have  been  hardly  less 
marked.  Bevins  bowed  and  extended  his  hand  to 

146 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

each  in  turn,  assuring  them  of  his  friendliness. 
The  King  himself  without  parley  conducted  them 
to  a  more  private  room,  and  offered  each  in  turn 
a  cigar,  after  which  he  looked  inquiringly  at  his 
guest,  who  answered  by  drawing  from  his  pocket 
a  sealed  dispatch,  which  he  delivered.  It  was  torn 
open  and  read  in  silence,  passing  from  hand  to 
hand,  after  which  the  Admiral,  without  prelude, 
plunged  into  his  subject. 

"  As  "will  be  witnessed  by  the  dispatches  I  have 
brought,  the  United  States  wishes  nothing  more 
than  complete  harmony.  It  has  been  compelled 
for  the  sake  of  peace  to  adopt  rather  unprece- 
dented methods,  which  I  can  assure  you  will  at 
least  revolutionize  all  methods  of  warfare  as  gen- 
erally understood.  The  letter  is  to  reassure  His 
Majesty." 

The  two  members  of  the  ministry  looked  at  each 
other  in  strained  suspense,  and  eagerly  waited  for 
the  American  to  continue,  which  he  did  after  brief 
thought,  in  which  time  he  gravely  studied  the 
King's  face. 

"  It  has  not  been  pleasant  for  my  country  to 
take  the  steps  it  has;  but  there  were  no  other 
means  of  establishing  and  maintaining — perhaps 
forever — a  continued  state  of  peace.  Gentlemen, 
I  believe  that  the  day  of  war  has  nearly  seen  its 
sunset.  I  believe  if  you  will  intrust  yourselves  to 
my  care  for  the  next  few  hours,  under  my  assur- 

147 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ance  as  a  representative  of  my  Government  and  as 
a  friend  of  His  Majesty's,  that  no  harm  will  come 
to  any  of  you,  that  I  can  convince  you  of  what  I 
have  said,  as  well  as  of  the  uselessness  of  strife." 

Again  there  was  silence,  while  those  in  the  room 
looked  at  each  other  questioningly. 

"  Yes,  it  will  require  your  leaving  the  palace," 
the  Admiral  continued  as  if  responding  to  an  inter- 
rogation, and  then  with  grim  humor  added,  "  that 
notwithstanding  the  disappearance  of  the  Kaiser 
and  his  Chancellor." 

The  Ministers  shook  their  heads,  indicating  that 
it  was  impossible.  The  monarch,  however,  sat 
steadily  watching  and  listening,  flicking  the  ash 
now  and  then  from  his  cigar  and  smoothing  an  end 
of  leaf  which  had  pulled  loose. 

"  The  reason  this  is  necessary,"  the  officer  has- 
tened to  add,  "  is  that  your  people  will  never  un- 
derstand the  power  of  the  United  States  nor 
believe  in  it  on  less  distinguished  testimony  than 
that  which  you  will  be  able  to  render.  Even  then 
it  will  be  hard  for  them  to  comprehend  that  my 
country  is  in  possession  of  an  engine  of  war  that 
could  bring  all  nations  to  its  feet,  or  annihilate 
them  if  it  chose." 

His  hearers  stiffened  up  for  a  moment,  reading 
in  this  placid  assertion  a  threat. 

"  No,  it  is  not  a  menace  to  you  or  the  world,  if 
you  will  but  grant  my  wish.  Gentlemen,  I  am  ask- 

148 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

ing  you  to  be  my  guests  in  the  name  of  humanity, 
which  is  above  all  rulers  and  above  all  Govern- 
ments! "  His  voice  was  vibrant  and  almost  plead- 
ing in  his  anxiety  to  gain  his  point. 

The  King  alone  seemed  half  inclined  to  go.  "  I 
have  known  Bevins  for  thirty  years,"  he  said 
slowly,  "  and  we  have  been  very  good  friends, 
indeed  intimate  at  times,  and  I  would  intrust  my 
life  in  his  keeping;  but  a  man  and  a  King  are  two 
different  beings.  As  a  man  I  would  go  at  once; 
but  as  the  representative  head  of  a  nation  I  cannot 
take  the  risk  unless  there  is  no  other  way." 

The  Minister  and  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty 
spoke  together  in  their  disapproval,  and  besought 
their  superior  to  refuse  such  a  demand  under  any 
and  all  conditions.  Bevins  saw  that  he  was  losing 
his  point,  and  stepped  into  the  breach. 

"  Wait!  "  he  begged,  rising  to  his  feet.  "  Will 
Your  Majesty  permit  me  to  bring  other  proof  that 
what  I  ask  is  for  the  best?" 

The  King  nodded. 

"  Then  grant  me  an  order  to  the  guard  at  the 
door  which  will  enable  me  to  pass  without  inter- 
ruption and  return." 

There  was  the  pressure  of  a  button,  an  order  to 
the  equerry  to  do  as  the  visitor  wished,  and  the 
officer  bowed  himself  out  of  the  room. 

His  Majesty's  advisers  began  an  impassioned 
appeal  that  he  should  under  all  circumstances 
11  149 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

refuse  to  leave  the  security  of  his  palace.  They 
pointed  out  the  dangers  which  might  assail  him 
in  many  ways,  despite  the  fact  that  his  visitor  was 
his  friend;  but  to  all  of  these  advices  he  made  no 
reply,  lounging  in  a  careless  attitude  and  blowing 
wreaths  of  smoke  toward  the  shaded  electric  lights 
above  his  head.  There  was  a  rap  at  the  door,  and 
it  was  thrown  open  by  an  equerry,  who  stood  at 
attention,  his  face  betraying  no  sign  of  anything 
unusual. 

Into  the  room  entered  another  visitor,  followed 
by  Bevins,  who  closed  the  door  after  him.  The 
materialization  of  a  ghost  could  have  created  no 
greater  surprise.  The  King  dropped  his  cigar  on 
the  carpet  and,  like  his  companions,  jumped  to  his 
feet  and  stood  like  a  statue.  The  Prime  Minister's 
hand  was  half  poised  in  the  air  and  remained  there, 
while  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  shoved  his  head 
forward  in  an  attitude  of  awe  struck  questioning. 

The  King  broke  the  silence.  "  Field!  is  that 
you?  "  he  asked  in  utter  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  Your  Majesty,  it  is  I,"  and  he  advanced 
to  meet  the  King,  who  suddenly  held  out  his  hand. 

The  others  rushed  forward  almost  incoherent  in 
greeting  the  Admiral  who  had  sailed  away  in  com- 
mand of  the  great  fleet  of  demonstration  and  had 
been  given  up  as  dead. 

Field  was  apparently  enjoying  the  situation,  and 
waited  until  they  began  to  ask  questions  before 

150 


A     KING     IS     LOST 

expressing  his  views.  "  I  am  under  my  word  of 
honor,  or  I  might  say  parole " 

"  Not  that,"  Bevins  interrupted.  "  You  are  not 
a  prisoner." 

"  Well,  under  promise  then,  that  I  shall  say 
nothing  concerning  the  mystery  which  I  now  thor- 
oughly understand."  He  made  a  little  grimace  as 
if  the  subject  brought  up  unpleasant  recollections 
of  defeat,  and  went  on,  "  I  am  here  to-night  as  the 
guest  of  our  friend  the  Admiral.  He  has  told  me 
of  his  failure  to  convince  you  that  what  he  asks  is 
necessary,  and  I  have  come  to  add  my  arguments 
to  his,  urging  upon  you  to  do  as  he  says.  He  has 
told  you  the  truth  when  he  says  that  it  may  mean 
an  end  to  war." 

The  ministers  and  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty 
looked  shocked;  but  the  King  made  a  decision 
without  hesitancy.  "  I  will  accept,  and  believe  it 
best  that  the  others  should  accompany  me."  It 
was  conclusive. 

They  donned  their  light  coats,  and  when  the 
monarch  stepped  from  his  wardrobe  a  moment 
later  he  too  was  garbed  for  his  trip  and  preceded 
them  down  the  hallways,  through  corridors  and 
arched  doors,  over  heavy  carpets  where  the  noise 
of  their  feet  was  deadened,  and  across  tiled  floors 
where  the  ring  of  their  boot  heels  disturbed  the 
silence.  Only  once  did  the  King  halt,  and  that 
was  for  Bevins  to  indicate  whether  it  was  desirable 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

to  pass  through  the  private  door  or  into  the 
broader  corridor  leading  toward  the  front  of  the 
palace.  They  chose  the  former  course,  passed 
the  wondering  sentry  at  the  door,  and  out  into  the 
night.  The  odor  of  June  flowers  came  to  them  on 
every  side  through  the  weird  veil  of  fog,  and  from 
the  drive  beyond  the  pile  of  stone  and  brick  came 
the  steady  clattering  of  horses'  hoofs.  They 
walked  closely  together,  the  King  holding  Bevins's 
arm.  The  sentry  heard  their  feet  steadily  crunch- 
ing out  over  the  graveled  walks,  started  at  the 
sound  of  a  melancholy,  far  reaching  whistle,  won- 
dering whether  it  was  a  signal  of  some  strange 
import,  and  then  resumed  his  usual  motionless 
attitude.  The  King  and  his  ministers  had  been 
taken  by  the  fog,  the  night,  and  the  mystery. 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE   DREADNOUGHT   RETURNS 

HE  falling  of  the  heavens  would  have 
created  little  more  consternation 
and  excitement  in  London  than  the 
sight  which  met  the  residents'  eyes 
on  the  morning  following  the  King's  visit  to  the 
Hippodrome.  The  fog  which  settled  unexpect- 
edly on  that  night  of  June  dissipated  itself  as 
stealthily  as  it  had  come,  and  floated  out  with  the 
dawn,  leaving  in  its  stead  a  clear  sky.  And  then, 
as  if  a  rare  discovery  had  been  made  simultane- 
ously by  thousands  instead  of  one,  a  swarm  of 
people,  defying  the  rush  of  motors,  of  omnibuses 
and  hansoms,  debouched  on  the  Thames  embank- 
ment by  the  stately  pile  of  buildings  where  Par- 
liament convenes,  filled  the  roadsteads,  jammed 
each  other  against  the  river  wall,  and  scorned  the 
constables,  who  vainly  strove  to  maintain  order 
and  uninterrupted  traffic. 

There,  resting  serenely  on  the  bosom  of  the 
river  where  in  times  before  Roman  galleys  had 
floated,  was  the  pride  of  the  British  navy,  the 
Dreadnought.  Neither  an  officer  of  the  watch,  a 

153 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

sailor,  nor  a  marine  bestrode  her  decks.  Inert  and 
untenanted,  silent  and  lifeless,  she  lay  close  by  the 
great  gray  buildings  like  the  last  survivor  of  a  de- 
feated army  who  had  crept  home  to  bring  a  report 
of  disaster  and  was  resting  in  the  shadow  of  the 
last  refuge.  Her  unmasked  guns  stared  wide  eyed 
and  mournful;  from  her  crippled  funnels  came  no 
wisp  of  curling  smoke;  from  her  channels  stretched 
no  anchor  chains;  and  she  paid  no  heed  to  the 
vagaries  of  the  sluggish  current;  her  prow  which 
had  defiantly  parted  so  many  seas  was  nosed  into 
the  mud  in  helplessness;  but  as  an  only  solace 
there  floated  from  her  stern  the  unsullied  banner 
of  the  United  Kingdom,  and  whipped  as  she  was 
she  had  come  back  to  her  people  with  colors  still 
flying. 

The  miracle  of  her  position  was  greater  than 
the  marvel  of  her  return;  for  above  and  below  that 
spot  on  the  river  were  bridges  impassable  for  a 
boat  of  half  her  size,  beneath  which  tugs  and  other 
craft  were  wont  to  lower  their  jointed  stacks.  In 
all  the  world  there  was  no  known  strength  or  me- 
chanical contrivance  that  could  transport  over 
shallows  and  bridges  twenty-two  thousand  tons  of 
steel,  and  then  leave  it  in  this  prohibited  place. 
Her  very  appearance  bore  mute  testimony  of  sin- 
gular strife.  True,  she  was  intact  to  a  point  flush 
with  the  great  steel  domes  which  held  her 
menacing  and  frowning  guns;  but  her  fighting 

154 


THE     DREADNOUGHT     RETURNS 

masts,  her  top  rig,  and  the  upper  bands  of  her 
funnel  were  riven  off  as  if  by  one  devastating  line 
shot  taken  full  abeam  or  square  astern.  The 
wreckage  of  this  hamper  had  been  removed,  so 
that  no  debris  littered  her  deserted  decks. 

For  many  days  of  gloom  it  had  been  accepted  as 
a  fact  that  nothing  but  annihilation  could  account 
for  the  disappearance  of  that  squadron  which  had 
doggedly  sailed  away  into  the  mysterious  West  to 
vanquish  a  terrible  and  unknown  enemy  or  meet 
a  glorious  death.  Little  hope  had  been  sustained 
as  the  days  of  silence  went  by  that  any  explanation 
of  that  defeat  might  be  forthcoming,  or  that  any 
vessel  might  return;  and  now  before  London's 
gathered  populace  was  a  grim  relic  which  only 
added  to  conjecture.  From  no  source  could  the 
secret  of  this  mysterious  visitation  be  learned;  and 
so  the  crowd  watched  and  waited. 

A  boat,  whose  flag  distinguished  her  as  being 
of  the  river  patrol,  obeyed  a  hail  from  the  shore, 
pulled  noisily  up  the  stream  against  the  outgoing 
tide,  and  circled  round  the  leviathan  as  though  sus- 
pecting danger  from  within.  Her  chief  officer, 
after  due  caution,  and  receiving  no  response,  cau- 
tiously directed  her  along  side,  and  boarded  the 
Dreadnought  over  the  starboard  quarter.  The 
ever  increasing  crowd  along  the  embankment  drew 
in  its  breath  in  expectancy,  waiting  for  a  revela- 
tion. It  heard  him  shout  "Below  there!"  and 

155 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

leaned  forward,  listening  for  whatever  response 
might  be  given;  but  nothing  was  heard  save  the 
steady  lap  of  the  water  and  the  farthest  sounds  of 
early  river  traffic. 

The  officer  advanced  along  the  deck  to  the  com- 
panionway,  and  leaned  curiously  into  it  repeating 
his  hail,  and  once  more  there  was  a  wait  and  no 
reply.  He  backed  away  from  the  entrance,  and 
hesitated.  It  was  plain  that  he  desired  witnesses 
before  invading  the  precincts  of  a  stricken  craft, 
and  in  a  moment  more  he  stepped  to  the  rail,  held 
a  short  conversation  with  those  on  the  decks  of 
his  boat  and  then  waited  till  he  was  joined  by 
others  of  that  force  that  guards  the  Thames. 
Three  men  clambered  aboard,  and  stood  by  him 
until  they  were  joined  by  two  others,  who  obeying 
a  low  spoken  order,  stationed  themselves  at  the 
head  of  the  companionway.  The  officer  and  his 
assistants  advanced  slowly,  stepped  into  the  dark- 
ness, and  disappeared  into  the  depths  of  the  battle- 
ship, while  the  suspense  along  the  embankment 
and  on  the  patrol  became  more  intense.  It  was 
several  minutes  before  the  investigators  reap- 
peared, and  then  they  had  gone  only  a  short  way 
into  the  vessel.  They  walked  to  the  rail,  and  the 
crowd  remained  waiting.  With  British  tacitur- 
nity they  declined  .  to  answer  any  of  the  ques- 
tions which  were  shouted  to  them  from  the 
shore. 

156 


THE     DREADNOUGHT     RETURNS 

The  little  boat  swung  off,  turned  her  nose  out 
into  the  stream,  and  steamed  hurriedly  away  at 
full  speed,  bent  on  summoning  others  of  her  serv- 
ice; and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  returned  accom- 
panied by  a  small  flotilla,  which  spread  out  and 
stationed  its  members  close  up  against  the  sides 
of  the  stranded  craft.  Another  officer  of  higher 
authority  joined  those  waiting  on  the  decks  of  the 
Dreadnought,  and  led  the  way  below,  ready  to 
learn  the  worst.  He  went  as  into  a  plague  ship 
manned  by  the  dead  expecting  to  meet  nothing 
but  grewsome  relics  of  tragedy,  and  prepared  for 
shocking  sights. 

From  place  to  place  he  advanced  almost  on  tip- 
toe, and  followed  by  his  companions  who  stared 
into  darker  corners  or  glanced  fearfully  behind 
when  the  echoes  of  their  falling  feet  clumped  hol- 
lowly through  the  steel  cavern.  Once  a  weird 
shriek  caused  them  to  spring  toward  each  other 
with  nervous  fright,  and  when  the  ship's  cat  came 
mewing  up  to  them,  begging  in  its  animal  way  for 
companionship,  they  looked  foolishly  at  one  an- 
other like  boys  who  had  been  startled  in  the 
midst  of  ghost  tales  told  by  a  camp  fire  in  the 
woods. 

Cabin  after  cabin  and  ward  room  after  ward 
room  was  opened  and  searched;  but  nowhere  could 
be  found  sign  of  disturbance  or  conflict.  There 
was  not  another  living  being  aboard  to  greet 

157 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

them,  nor  did  they  find  more  awful  .testimonials 
of  war. 

In  the  Captain's  quarters,  clean  and  business- 
like, the  roll  topped  desk  was  closed,  and  the 
books  on  top  of  it  were  in  order  as  for  inspection. 
At  its  side  stood  a  typewriter  with  the  tin  resting 
lightly  upon  it,  and  a  stenographer's  case  note- 
book beside  neatly  checked  and  showing  that  the 
last  letter  or  order  had  been  completed.  On  the 
ward  room  table  lay  a  magazine  open  and  turned 
page  downward  as  though  the  reader  had  desired 
to  keep  his  place  and  had  stepped  away  from  it 
on  a  sudden  call.  In  the  galleys  of  this  great  float- 
ing home  pots,  pans,  and  kettles  were  placed  in 
orderly  array  in  their  racks, — no  thrifty  housewife 
could  have  left  her  kitchen  in  better  state.  In  the 
chart  room  the  traced  highways  of  the  ocean's  bed 
were  drawn  up  in  their  closed  cases,  and  the  hoists 
were  not  loaded  or  littered  with  ammunition  as 
would  have  been  the  case  had  the  battleship  been 
in  action  when  overcome  by  the  enemy.  There 
was  nothing  above  or  below  offering  a  key  to  the 
enigma. 

Puzzled  and  overcome,  the  patrolmen  took  tem- 
porary charge  of  the  ship,  while  a  boat  hurried 
away  from  the  miniature  flotilla,  carrying  a  de- 
tailed report  to  the  Admiralty,  where  the  news  was 
received  with  amazement  no  less  than  that  which 
had  brought  the  crowd  on  the  embankment. 

158 


THE     DREADNOUGHT     RETURNS 

Subordinates  of  departments  called  for  their  tardy 
superiors,  telephone  bells  jangled,  and  British 
phlegm  gave  way  to  excitement;  but  even  in  this 
remarkable  state  precedent  was  maintained  and 
routine  observed,  so  that  from  man  to  man,  going 
constantly  upward,  the  report  reached  the  first 
Lord  of  the  Admiralty. 

Then  for  the  first  time  it  was  learned  that  this 
high  and  mighty  official  was  missing  from  his 
home,  and  had  been  summoned  to  the  palace  in 
the  night.  No  delay  could  be  brooked  in  an  event 
so  startling,  and  with  due  ceremony  inquiries  were 
instituted  for  him.  This  caused  an  investigation 
in  gray  old  Buckingham,  which  spread  until  it 
came  to  the  head  of  Government,  when  it  became 
known  that  not  only  was  the  naval  officer  missing, 
but  no  less  a  personage  than  the  King  of  England 
as  well. 

In  great  disasters  by  sea  or  land  where  swift 
Death  ravages,  men  cry  aloud  in  their  excitement 
and  distress;  but  when  a  calamity  threatens  a 
nation  and  a  King  is  involved,  they  seek  to  hide 
their  emotions.  Hence  it  was  that  in  the  palace 
men  came  hurriedly  together  without  words  to 
those  around,  and  in  whispers  expressed  their  anx- 
iety. It  was  recalled  with  alarm  that  the  Kaiser 
had  left  his  palace  in  an  equally  unceremonious 
manner,  decoyed  by  a  stranger,  and  enticed  into 
the  night.  Nor  was  his  fate  as  uncertain  or  with 

159 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

more  ground  for  question,  because  there  he  had 
been  traced  to  a  carriage  which  had  driven  away. 
The  King  of  England  had  gone  into  his  garden, 
and  the  guards  at  the  gates  swore  he  had  not 
passed  the  portals,  which  they  watched.  And  for 
their  pains  they  were  doubted  and  placed  under 
temporary  detention  until  the  King  should  return 
to  prove  that  they  were  not  in  a  conspiracy  against 
the  State. 

Perhaps  the  alarm  would  have  been  less  keen 
were  it  not  for  the  tale  of  the  Kaiser;  but  the  cases 
were  so  parallel  that  the  conclusion  was  instantly 
formed  that  England's  monarch  was  probably  in 
as  great  jeopardy  as  his  fellow  ruler  who  had  now 
been  gone  for  many  days.  The  nobles  looked  at 
one  another  askance,  and  asked  what  times  were 
these  when  no  person  might  be  so  august  as  to  be  • 
immune  from  seizure.  Where  was  the  limit  to  be 
reached?  What  could  be  expected  next?  Was 
there  no  possible  protection  even  for  the  heads  of 
Government  and  society? 

In  the  offices  of  the  Admiralty  those  of  more 
or  less  prominence  in  the  department  held  a  con- 
ference and  detailed  men  to  take  charge  of  the 
Dreadnought.  There  could  be  no  attempt  to  re- 
habilitate her  at  that  time,  inasmuch  as  it  would 
be  impossible  ever  again  to  bring  her  into  service 
without  destroying  a  span  of  the  bridge  below; 
therefore  no  coroner's  inquest  could  have  con- 

160 


THE     DREADNOUGHT     RETURNS 

vened  with  more  solemnity  than  did  those  men 
who  took  charge  of  and  boarded  this  great  dead 
thing  of  the  sea. 

A  derelict  cast  upon  an  open  sandy  beach 
offered  more  chance  of  salvage  than  the  greatest 
vessel  of  the  greatest  navy  of  the  world,  nosed  in 
the  mud  and  practically  walled  in.  And  while  she 
lay  in  this  state  of  helplessness  there  was  forming 
round  English  shores  a  formidable  flotilla  of  other 
war  vessels  flying  the  British  flag,  which  had  been 
summoned  from  all  waters  of  the  globe  to  protect 
the  mother  country  from  German  invasion  or  if 
need  arose  gallantly  to  seek  death  beds  in  the  sea 
in  the  attempt  to  fend  off  the  American  terror 
should  it  be  directed  against  the  island  ruler  of  the 
waves. 

As  they  advanced,  Captains  of  this  great  navy 
arrived  in  London  in  response  to  urgent  summons 
and  hastened  to  the  Admiralty.  One  and  all  they 
were  asked  to  pass  expert  opinion  on  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Dreadnought,  and  offer  a  solution  of 
the  methods  used  to  bring  her  to  that  singular 
anchorage  in  the  river;  but,  like  children  groping 
in  the  mist,  they  could  formulate  no  tenable  theory 
nor  give  any  lucid  explanation.  They  looked  at 
each  other  in  amazement,  wagged  their  heads,  and 
admitted  their  inability.  Plague  would  have  left 
dead  men  at  their  posts,  or  battle  would  have  left 
more  serious  scars  than  the  cutting  away  of  the 

161 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

fighting  masts  and  wrecking  of  the  stacks;  but 
even  then  who  would  navigate  her  to  home 
waters,  and  what  could  account  for  her  presence 
in  a  place  where  even  a  small  sea  going  craft  could 
not  go?  If  that  nation  in  the  West  had  a  subma- 
rine of  terrific  speed  and  unknown  power,  it  might 
perhaps  destroy  a  ship;  but  by  what  means  could 
it  force  it  under  or  over  a  bridge  of  solid  masonry 
and  steel? 

And  so  the  men  of  the  sea  passed  down  and 
back,  while  the  people  of  London  spent  the  time 
in  trying  to  see  the  latest  evidence  of  disaster,  took 
turns  in  crowding  to  the  embankment,  and  then 
went  to  their  homes.  Business  came  to  a  halt, 
shops  were  unopened,  and  desks  were  closed.  In 
the  Government  offices  men  moved  helplessly,  and 
in  homes  throughout  the  country  families  sat 
within  doors  gravely  discussing  the  latest  manifes- 
tation of  power. 

Nor  was  the  public  aware  that  in  higher  circles 
another  cause  for  anxiety  had  been  uncovered, 
which  was  nothing  less  than  the  disappearance  of 
the  Prime  Minister.  A  King,  a  Prime  Minister, 
and  the  first  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  taken  at  one 
time!  It  was  sufficient  to  make  others  of  promi- 
nence look  at  one  another  questioning  when  their 
turn  might  come  and  what  the  end  would  be.  No 
one  was  safe  in  this  great  crisis,  when  thrones  tot- 
tered on  their  settings  and  men  were  whisked 

162 


THE     DREADNOUGHT     RETURNS 

away  in  the  night,  when  the  most  powerful  vessels 
of  war  created  by  all  the  wisdom  of  science  and 
ingenuity  of  invention  might  be  dominated  and 
handled  like  toys. 

There  was  no  ground  for  belief  that  any  power 
other  than  the  United  States  might  have  been  the 
controlling  spirit  in  this  long  series  of  untoward 
events,  but  from  that  nation  came  no  word,  only 
a  silence  more  menacing  than  the  thunder  of  dis- 
tant guns,  and  more  terrible  and  ominous  than  an 
open  display  of  invincible  arms.  It  took  no  great 
stretch  of  imagination  to  people  the  air  with 
phalanx  on  phalanx  of  stern  and  implacable  foe- 
men  bent  on  invasion  when  the  time  seemed  ripe. 
A  country  which  could  flaunt  the  world  was  capa- 
ble of  anything,  and  it  was  not  believable  that  she 
was  acting  without  a  purpose.  But  what  means 
did  she  intend  to  take?  What  would  be  her  next 
move?  How  had  she  accomplished  those  victories 
already  scored  upon  her  tally  sheet?  Only  one 
hope  for  partial  explanation  remained,  and  that 
was  based  upon  the  return  to  sanity  of  a  maddened 
sailor  who  had  come  to  them  on  a  life  raft  from  the 
unknown,  as  the  only  witness  of  a  disaster,  and  the 
only  living  link. 

And  even  while  the  anxious  officials  thought 
of  him  a  group  of  surgeons  and  specialists  were 
standing  round  a  cot  in  a  hospital  watching  this 
man  breathe  his  last.  Now  that  his  importance 

163 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

had  increased  a  hundredfold  Death  was  interven- 
ing and  sealing  his  lips.  He  passed  away  as 
silently  as  he  had  been  found,  his  jumbled  wits 
giving  no  new  and  tangible  clew.  Speechless  he 
had  been  picked  up  on  a  life  raft  in  mid  ocean,  and 
speechless  he  voyaged  out  into  another  world. 

Night  fell  over  London,  infolding  a  stricken  city 
where  none  came  upon  the  streets  and  men  within 
doors  whispered  to  each  other,  dreading  what  the 
morrow  might  bring  forth.  The  heart  of  Britain, 
beating  with  dogged  determination  to  the  last, 
was  broken.  America  was  the  master  of  fate,  and 
could  deal  out  its  awards  or  blows  with  the  inex- 
orableness  of  a  god. 


PART  TWO 


12 


CHAPTER   I 

IN   THE   BEGINNING 

T  was  January  of  that  momentous  year 
when  the  world's  unrest  reached  a 
climax,  and  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  his  official  day  done, 
sat  alone  in  his  study,  perusing  a  report  from  an 
agent  of  the  State  Department  and  mentally  com- 
paring it  with  preceding  ones.  The  shaded  light 
threw  into  relief  against  the  darker  shadows  be- 
hind, the  long,  lean  jaw,  the  grimly  determined 
mouth,  and  the  somber  eyes,  but  lent  a  touch  of 
softness  to  the  queer  little  lines  which  told  that  on 
occasion  the  man  could  show  infinite  kindness  and 
humanity. 

Thrust  forward  from  the  ranks  of  the  people  into 
the  most  important  office  of  the  land,  driven  re- 
luctantly into  the  arena  of  action  from  a  seclusion 
which  had  for  him  the  charms  of  peace,  he  was  still 
a  man  in  peculiar  isolation.  In  this,  the  third  year 
of  his  term,  he  was  yet  unknown  and  under  con- 
stant discussion.  Half  of  his  countrymen  hailed 
him  as  the  Lincoln  of  his  time,  and  the  other  half 
declared  him  a  tyrant  in  embryo.  He  had  fought 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

so  doggedly  for  his  principles  that  he  had 
estranged  those  who  had  been  his  most  ardent 
supporters.  His  disregard  for  party  projects  had 
cost  him  the  friendship  of  politicians;  his  advocacy 
of  certain  reforms  had  subjected  him  to  caustic 
comments;  his  very  dignity  and  sensitiveness  had 
been  mistaken  for  austerity;  and  only  his  most  in- 
timate friends  understood  that  in  him  beat  a  great 
heart  filled  to  overflowing  for  his  country  and 
fellow  men.  These  comprehending  friends  were 
few;  but  among  them,  perhaps  the  most  intimate, 
was  the  friend  of  his  boyhood,  "  Old  Bill  "  Roberts 
the  inventor. 

Between  these  two  there  existed  that  singular 
affection  found  rarely  among  master  minds  where 
each  admires  qualities  in  the  other  which  he  him- 
self lacks.  To  Roberts  the  President  was  the 
greatest  statesman  of  the  century,  and  to  the 
President  Roberts  was  the  most  accomplished 
scientist  and  inventor  who  had  ever  lived;  but  on 
this  night,  laden  with  fate  in  which  each  was  to 
play  his  part,  the  mind  of  neither  was  on  the  other. 
The  inventor  was  absorbed  in  the  last  of  a  series 
of  experiments  that  had  enmeshed  him  in  a  dream 
whereby  he  hoped  to  eradicate  friction,  and  the 
President  was  perturbed  by  reports  for  which  he 
had  waited  many  weeks. 

These  latter  were  exhaustive  in  detail,  and  in 
recapitulation  tersely  predicted  that  it  would  be 

1 68 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

almost  an  impossibility  to  avert  war  with  Japan  as 
soon  as  she  reached  a  state  of  preparation.  They 
summed  up  her  naval  strength,  which  they  de- 
clared almost  equal  at  the  time  of  writing  to  that 
of  the  United  States,  and  told  how  every  navy 
yard  in  Japan  was  rushing  construction  with  all 
available  speed  both  night  and  day,  so  that  her 
augmented  squadrons  when  built  would  be  su- 
perior to  those  of  the  great  Republic.  They  re- 
viewed the  land  preparations  by  showing  that  a 
greater  number  of  men  were  being  drilled  than 
ever  before  in  the  country's  history,  and  that  the 
redoubtable  army  sent  against  Russia  would  be 
small  in  comparison  with  that  which  could  be 
mobilized  for  another  invasion.  The  reports  ex- 
pressed the  belief  that  Japanese  capitalists  were 
anxious  to  seize  the  Philippines,  and  were  encour- 
aging the  ambitions  of  the  Emperor  of  Nippon  to 
the  full  extent  of  their  purses,  hoping  ultimately 
to  find  another  outlet  for  investment  under  their 
own  flag.  As  if  in  proof  that  the  Government  was 
supporting  this  bellicose  attitude,  the  reports  gave 
as  a  certainty  that  some  high  authority  was  dic- 
tating the  editorial  policies  of  the  Japanese  press, 
and  in  all  ways  possible  fomenting  the  ill  feeling 
against  the  United  States. 

There  could  be  no  underestimation  of  the  abil- 
ity of  the  naval  officer  who  had  made  these  state- 
ments; for  he  had  passed  more  than  ten  years  in 

169 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

that  station  of  the  Orient,  spoke  the  language 
thoroughly  well,  understood  the  people,  and  above 
all  was  no  alarmist.  He  gave  it  as  his  final  opin- 
ion that  within  six  months,  Japan,  her  navy  com- 
pleted, her  soldiers  drilled  to  perfection,  and  her 
treasury  well  supplied  with  gold,  would  find  pre- 
text for  a  declaration  of  war.  The  only  means  of 
preventing  this  deplorable  event,  in  his  judgment, 
was  to  place  the  American  navy  in  such  a  state  of 
pronounced  superiority  that  it  would  stay  the  war- 
like Japanese  and  hold  them  in  the  leash  of  awe. 

The  President  read  the  last  clause  again,  and 
with  a  sigh  of  discontent  leaned  back  in  his  chair. 
Hour  after  hour  he  brooded  over  the  complexities 
of  the  situation,  and  late  at  night  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  he  must  lose  no  time  in  calling  to- 
gether his  most  trusted  advisers,  lay  the  report 
before  them,  and  then  by  consultation  and  discus- 
sion decide  which  would  be  the  most  promising 
policy  to  pursue  in  so  grave  a  crisis.  Before  he 
retired  the  orders  were  given  to  his  secretary 
which  resulted  in  the  first  meeting  of  that  coterie 
of  men  who  were  to  assume  the  full  responsibility 
for  the  conduct  of  the  war  which  afterwards  ful- 
filled the  expert's  prediction. 

They  gathered  informally  on  the  following 
night,  nor  could  it  have  been  observed  by  their 
demeanor  that  they  were  to  discuss  a  situation  of 
vital  importance  to  the  nation;  but,  forewarned  by 

170 


IN      TH  E     BEGINNING 

the  President's  call,  they  expected  news  of  dis- 
tressing import,  and  therefore  were  not  surprised 
in  the  least  at  the  tenor  of  the  statement  which 
was  read  to  them.  They  listened  attentively,  and 
remained  silent  when  the  last  words  were  spoken, 
each  waiting  for  the  other  to  express  an  opinion. 
The  President,  grave  and  calm,  looked  from  one 
to  the  other  as  if  inviting  freedom  of  speech,  and 
then  turned  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  a  crusty 
man  who  was  given  to  open  expression. 

"  Mr.  Sessions,"  he  said,  "  you  are  probably  bet- 
ter informed  than  any  other  man  of  the  possibili- 
ties of  bringing  the  navy  to  a  point  where  it  may 
be  regarded  as  resistless.  What  have  you  to 
say?  " 

The  latter  showed  signs  of  ill  temper.  He  wiped 
the  shining  dome  of  his  head,  and  stared  across 
the  tops  of  his  horn  bowed  glasses  at  his  col- 
leagues. "  For  three  years  now,"  he  replied  bit- 
terly, "  I  have  endeavored  to  get  appropriations 
consistent  with  the  needs  of  the  country;  did 
everything  I  could  with  dignity  and  a  little  more; 
tried  to  get  friends  to  pass  bills,  and  gave  them 
statistics  showing  just  what  our  position  would  be 
in  this  event;  but  there  were  always  a  few  '  watch 
dogs  of  the  treasury  '  who  succeeded  in  defeating 
everything  attempted." 

The  President  looked  at  him  reprovingly,  but 
said  nothing.  The  others  gave  him  silent  sym- 

171 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

pathy,  knowing  that  in  case  of  disastrous  war  he 
would  be  the  one  to  stand  in  the  limelight  and 
defend  himself  for  not  working  miracles  unaided. 
The  gratitude  of  Kings  was  no  more  open  to  sar- 
casm than  the  gratitude  of  Republics. 

"  The  report  says,"  continued  the  secretary 
gloomily,  "  that  war  may  be  anticipated  in  six 
months  at  the  furthest,  and  that  our  only  safeguard 
is  to  bring  our  navy  up  to  a  formidable  force 
before  that  time.  Well,  we  can't  do  it!  With  all 
the  facilities  at  our  command  we  can't  build  ships 
in  a  night,  nor  drill  men  to  man  them  in  a  day. 
We  shout  about  our  resources,  and  we  have  them; 
but  it  takes  time  to  utilize  them." 

His  outspoken  pessimism  loosened  his  hearers' 
tongues;  but  the  most  optimistic  could  find  noth- 
ing encouraging  to  say.  It  was  obvious  that  the 
country  in  any  event  would  be  unprepared.  They 
were  discussing  emergency  plans,  when  the  Presi- 
dent's secretary  appeared  in  the  doorway.  They 
turned  to  him,  wondering  what  could  claim  the 
chief  executive's  attention  at  that  time  of  the 
night.  The  secretary  walked  over  to  the  President 
and  addressed  him  in  a  low  tone.  They  caught 
scraps  of  the  conversation. 

"  Says  he  wants  to  see  me  to-night?  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  didn't  like  to  refuse  a  man  of  his 
prominence,  or  one  who  is  so  closely  your  friend." 

"Won't  he  talk  to  you?  " 
172 


IN       THE     BEGINNING 

"  Not  much !  Just  laughed,  and  said  he  wanted 
to  see  you  personally." 

"  Well,  go  tell  him  I  would  be  glad  to  see  him 
ordinarily;  but  that  I  am  in  a  conference  of  great 
importance  with  friends.  Ask  him  to  say  what 
hour  he  prefers  to  see  me  to-morrow." 

The  secretary  bowed  and  left  the  room,  and  the 
conversation  was  resumed.  It  continued  only  a 
moment  before  he  again  appeared,  and  the  Presi- 
dent turned  toward  him. 

"  Doctor  Roberts  seems  a  little  annoyed,"  the 
secretary  apologized,  "  and  insisted  on  my  com- 
ing back  to  tell  you  that  he  wanted  to  see  you 
now." 

The  President  and  others  in  the  room  laughed 
tolerantly,  knowing  the  inventor's  peculiarities. 

"What  else  did  he  say?"  the  President  asked. 

"  Said  he'd  be  hanged  if  he'd  go  until  he  saw 
you."  The  laughter  in  the  room  increased. 
"  Said  he  had  found  something  that  would  enable 
the  Government  to  whip  the  Japanese;  had  been 
reading  reports  showing  there  was  no  time  to 
waste,  and  wanted  to  tell  you  about  it  at  once." 

The  merriment  subsided  as  quickly  as  it  had 
been  provoked,  and  the  hilarious  ones,  grown 
grave,  looked  at  each  other  in  astonishment  and 
wonder.  Here  at  the  very  moment  of  distress  was 
a  man  who  had  done  more  toward  strengthening 
the  nation's  agents  of  offense  and  defense  than 

173 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

any  other  individual,  confidently  asserting  that  he 
could  show  them  the  way  out  of  their  difficulties. 
The  President  ordered  that  the  caller  be  conducted 
to  the  room  at  once. 

Had  it  been  any  less  a  personage  than  the 
famous  inventor,  they  would  have  paid  small  heed 
to  the  promise  of  hope;  had  they  been  informed  in 
less  troublous  times  that  such  an  invention  was 
pending,  they  would  have  looked  upon  it  with 
great  interest  and  curiosity;  but  now,  when  all 
avenues  of  escape  seemed  closed,  when  the  eagle's 
perch  was  rocking  beneath  its  talons,  and  it  was 
threatened  by  merciless  foemen,  they  stared  at 
each  other  in  amazed  silence  like  men  who  had 
been  reprieved. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  stillness  that  the  in- 
ventor entered  the  room  and  stood  bewildered 
for  a  moment,  peering  from  beneath  the  thatch 
of  his  brows  at  one  and  another.  Then,  satisfied 
that  his  visit  was  opportune  and  that  none  was 
present  whom  he  did  not  know,  he  gave  them  in- 
dividual greeting  as  his  acquaintanceship  war- 
ranted. 

"  You  were  not  expecting  me,"  he  addressed 
the  President;  "but  it  appears  to  me  that  there 
is  no  one  here  who  should  not  know  what  I  have 
to  say,  and  who  is  not  directly  interested  in  what 
I  have  to  show.  I  am  glad  you  are  all  here,  gen- 
tlemen," he  concluded,  turning  to  the  others. 

174 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

And  then,  following-  the  example  of  the  President, 
he  seated  himself,  and  the  others  did  likewise. 
They  were  strung  with  a  suspense  which  he  did 
not  share.  "Informal,  isn't  it?"  he  asked  the 
President,  and  when  assured  that  such  was  the 
case  he  calmly  drew  a  handkerchief  from  his 
pocket  and  swept  it  across  the  dome  of  his  fore- 
head. 

All  were  waiting  for  him  to  speak;  but,  with 
exasperating  slowness,  and  without  asking  per- 
mission from  the  President,  he  thrust  a  hand  into 
the  roomy  folds  of  his  sack  coat  and  produced  a 
bundle  of  long  stogies,  one  of  which  he  carefully 
withdrew  and  examined  with  great  care.  He 
thrust  it  into  his  mouth  and  revolved  it,  apparently 
for  the  purpose  of  tightening  a  loose  wrapper.  He 
turned  to  the  chief  executive.  There  was  an  air 
of  expectancy  in  the  room  and  a  leaning  forward, 
that  no  word  of  the  great  secret  might  be  lost. 
They  caught  all  he  said. 

"  Got  a  match,  Mr.  President?  "  he  asked  with 
the  utmost  nonchalance. 

They  dropped  back  into  their  seats,  some  with 
exasperation  and  others  smiling.  The  President 
gravely  supplied  his  want,  and  then,  as  the  evil 
odor  of  the  weed  was  wafted  round  the  room,  he 
sat  back  in  his  chair,  with  the  tips  of  his  ringers 
touching  each  other.  The  Secretary  of  War  was 
beginning  to  fidget  with  impatience. 

175 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Roberts  puffed  three  or  four  times,  fixed  his 
eyes  on  a  cornice  as  if  he  was  the  sole  occupant  of 
the  room,  then  calmly  reached  into  a  pocket  and 
drew  out  a  parcel  which  he  laid  on  the  President's 
desk.  While  every  eye  was  fixed  upon  him  he 
tilted  the  stogy  in  his  mouth  to  an  angle  where 
the  smoke  would  not  interfere  with  his  operations, 
and  began  unwrapping  the  package,  throwing  the 
newspapers  on  the  floor  at  his  feet.  Then  came  a 
fold  of  silk,  and  last  of  all  a  sheet  of  tissue  paper, 
whose  crackling  crispness  sounded  startlingly  loud 
in  the  stillness  of  the  room. 

"  There!"  he  remarked  triumphantly,  exposing 
two  small  plates  of  metal  not  differing  greatly  in 
appearance  from  two  pieces  of  burnished  steel. 
Eagerly  all  those  in  the  room  crowded  forward, 
while  the  President  gingerly  took  one  of  the  slabs 
in  his  fingers. 

"  New  explosive?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  they're  harmless."    The  inventor  smiled. 

The  others  looked  eagerly  at  them  as  the  Presi- 
dent held  them,  wondering  what  connection  the 
two  little  strips  of  metal  could  possibly  have  with 
the  defense  of  a  nation  against  a  multitude  of  bat- 
tleships. Nothing  but  Roberts's  known  ability 
prevented  them  from  looking  upon  him  as  a  crank. 
They  inspected  the  objects  before  them  in  turn, 
passing  them  from  hand  to  hand  with  blank  looks. 
Only  the  Secretary  of  War,  who  in  his  earlier  years 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

had  been  a  metallurgist,  showed  any  signs  of  sur- 
prise or  amazement.  He  turned  excitedly  away 
and  crossed  the  room  to  a  side  light,  against  which 
glare  he  held  the  little  plate,  staring  at  it  fixedly. 
The  inventor  smiled,  and  the  others  renewed  their 
interest.  The  secretary  hurried  back. 

"  What  on  earth  is  it,  Dr.  Roberts?  "  he  asked, 
and  then  without  waiting  for  an  explanation  con- 
tinued, "  I  never  saw  a  metal  that  looked  or  felt 
like  it.  What  is  it?" 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  inventor,  recovering  the 
slab  and  balancing  it  in  his  hands,  "  that  is  a  new 
plate  that  can  be  made  cheaply  and  quickly.  If  it 
does  what  the  laboratory  tests  show,  it  will,  when 
applied  to  cruisers  which  can  now  steam  twenty 
knots  an  hour,  make  fifty  knots  an  easy  gait  for 
them." 

There  was  a  gasp  of  astonishment  amounting 
almost  to  incredulity  among  those  who  crowded 
round,  and  the  scientist,  enjoying  the  effect  of  his 
words,  smiled  and  smoked.  A  moment's  pause 
ensued  while  the  possibilities  of  the  discovery 
dawned  on  them.  Those  who  knew  him  least  were 
again  questioning  his  sanity,  and  then,  as  if  all  at 
once  they  could  wait  no  longer  for  him  to  explain, 
they  burst  into  a  chorus  of  questions,  which  he 
did  not  answer.  He  waited  until  no  voice  was 
heard,  and  then  began. 

"  That  plate  practically  overcomes  friction.  My 
177 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

assistant,  my  daughter  Norma,  and  I  have  made 
several  tests  before  I  came  here  with  it.  These 
were  cast  and  tested  last  night.  I  am  not  going 
into  scientific  details;  but  this  much  I'll  make 
plain:  A  ship  coated  along  certain  lines  with  that 
metal,  electrified  only  to  a  point  where  she  would 
not  sink  for  lack  of  support,  can  reduce  her  skin 
friction  caused  by  the  water  to  a  point  where  her 
speed  would  be  something  hitherto  unknown.  It 
would  of  course  mean  lighter  armaments,  because 
the  lighter  the  dead  tonnage  the  greater  the  buoy- 
ancy. But  a  cruiser  with  a  few  long  range,  high 
explosive  guns,  that  can  travel  at  the  rate  of  forty 
or  fifty  miles  an  hour,  or  a  submarine  that  can 
make  that  speed  for  twenty-four  hours  at  a 
stretch,  would  play  havoc  with  any  navy  in  the 
world." 

The  room  was  alive  with  excited  men  now  as 
the  full  force  of  his  statement  came  in  all  its  clear- 
ness. If  that  unknown  metal  had  that  property, 
and  sufficient  fighting  ships  could  be  armored  with 
it  in  time  to  meet  the  demands  made  upon  them, 
the  seas  could  be  whipped  into  subjection  and 
legions  of  troops  transported  before  they  could  be 
interfered  with.  The  President  himself  had  lost 
his  calmness  and  was  gripping  the  arms  of  his 
chair.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  having  the 
practical  point  of  view,  came  out  of  his  trance,  and 
snapped  out  a  question: 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

"  How  long  would  it  take  to  equip  a  cruiser 
with  those  plates?  " 

Roberts  turned  toward  him.  "  Depends  on  the 
plant.  The  plates  can  be  cast  and  electrified  just 
as  rapidly  as  you  could  cast  sheets  of  plain  iron 
and  turn  a  current  into  them;  but  I  wish  to  ex- 
periment a  little  further  first  and  try  them  out  on 
some  old  gunboat  that  wouldn't  amount  to  much 
if  lost." 

The  room  was  again  filled  with  a  babel  of  sound, 
as  the  officials  began  an  argument;  but  on  one 
point  they  were  agreed.  The  man  before  them 
was  so  well  known  that  the  Government  was  tak- 
ing no  great  hazard  in  affording  him  every  means 
within  its  power  to  carry  out  his  work,  and,  if  he 
could  do  what  he  believed,  and  of  that  there 
seemed  no  room  for  doubt,  the  solution  of  the  ap- 
proaching war,  or  any  other,  was  in  their  hands. 
The  President  alone  sat  buried  in  thought,  his 
brows  drawn  into  a  frown. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  and  there  was  that  in  his 
voice  which  demanded  attention,  "  I  should  like  to 
ask  Dr.  Roberts  a  few  questions.  I  wish  to  know 
if  this  work  of  his  can  be  carried  on  so  secretly  that 
no  other  Power — not  one,  nor  even  the  people  of 
this  country — can  become  aware  of  his  discovery; 
if  he  can  suggest  a  means  for  such  concealment;  if 
his  work  can  be  done  so  expeditiously,  with  full 
Government  support,  that  within  three  months 

179 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

from  to-night  the  American  navy  can  be  so 
equipped  as  to  make  it  the  most  powerful  in  the 
world;  and  whether  he  realizes  the  importance  of 
such  haste." 

The  scientist  threw  his  half  finished  stogy  into 
the  ash  receiver  before  him  and  became  grave. 
He  was  the  dignified,  thoughtful  man  again, 
weighing  his  words  and  speaking  with  delibera- 
tion. "  Mr.  President,"  he  answered,  "  I  am  not 
completely  beyond  the  experimental  stage;  but  I 
believe  I  can  plan  such  secrecy  as  you  desire,  and 
with  the  aid  of  men  and  money  make  the  United 
States  navy  invincible  in  less  than  three  months.  I 
would  almost  stake  my  life  and  reputation  on  it. 
But  why,  may  I  ask,  do  you  desire  to  keep  it 
from  the  world's  knowledge  that  you  have  such 
power?  " 

The  President  walked  up  and  down  the  room 
with  his  hands  behind  his  back  as  if  in  a  dream, 
while  the  others  waited  for  his  reply.  "  Because 
we  are  facing  war  with  Japan,  a  skillful,  advanced, 
and  cunning  enemy,  and  there  must  be  no  risk  of 
its  discovering  our  secret.  Its  spies  are  every- 
where in  the  land.  Hostilities  are  to  be  courted 
in  this  emergency  rather  than  declined,  provided 
they  can  be  rendered  harmless  to  ourselves  and 
humane  to  our  adversaries.  To  talk  of  power 
without  demonstrating  it,  is  as  idle  as  a  braggart's 
boasting.  To  maintain  silence  and  then  prove 

180 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

ability,  is  to  make  one's  action  doubly  impress- 
ive." 

He  started  to  say  more,  his  big  somber  eyes 
glowing  with  some  new  thought,  and  then,  as  if 
afraid  of  his  own  conceptions,  stood  expectantly 
before  his  lifelong  friend  who  was  facing  him. 
"  Bill,  Bill!  "  he  said  brokenly,  "  do  you  see  what 
depends  upon  you?  Why,  man,  the  nation  itself, 
the  lives  of  thousands  of  fathers  and  an  army  of 
our  boys;  yes,  more  than  all  that,  the  peace  of  the 
world!  Good  God,  man!  Try  to  realize  what  you 
have,  and  what  we  can  do,  if  those  two  pieces  of 
metal  will  do  all  you  think  they  will!  " 

His  long  ungainly  arms  reached  out,  and  he 
put  his  hands  upon  the  smaller  man's  shoulders. 
Those  within  the  room  awoke  to  a  realization  of 
the  magnitude  of  the  power  that  was  possible,  and 
stood  in  awed  silence,  spectators  of  a  tableau. 
From  the  broad  sweep  of  the  river  without  came 
the  wailing  whistle  of  a  belated  steamer,  seeking 
its  way  through  the  fog  that  had  settled  down. 
The  measured  tramp  of  a  patrolman  in  front  of  the 
huge  white  building  came  reverberating  to  their 
ears,  cast  back  from  the  empty  street,  and  thus 
they  stood,  centering  their  attention  on  a  little, 
wizened  old  man  who  had  grasped  one  of  Nature's 
secrets  and  was  now  offering  it  as  a  nation's  sal- 
vation. In  this  light  he  loomed  to  gigantic  pro- 
portions, and  seemed  possessed  of  Titanic  power. 
13  181 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Oblivious  to  the  others  in  the  room,  his  restless 
eyes  gleamed  and  probed  those  of  his  friend. 

"  Paul/'  he  said  in  an  oddly  constrained  voice, 
dropping  back  to  the  boyhood  phrase,  "  I  can 
make  good.  I'm  at  my  country's  service,  and  I've 
made  no  mistake  in  what  I  said."  He  swung 
sharply  round  to  the  others,  and  his  clenched 
hands  swept  the  air  in  a  sudden  frenzy  of  deter- 
mination. He  was  the  enthusiast  once  more, 
daring,  dreaming,  positive,  and  sanguine. 

"  Send  me  the  two  best  engineers  in  the  navy 
and  the  two  best  supply  men  to-morrow  morning. 
I'll  tell  them  what  we  need  and  they  can  tell  me 
how  soon  they  can  deliver  it  where  I  want  it.  I'll 
want  machinery  and  apparatus,  supplies  and  as- 
sistants. Money  and  men!  Money  and  men! 
They  can't  beat  us!  They  can't  beat  us!" 

His  hands  came  back  to  his  sides.  He  folded 
the  precious  pieces  of  metal  into  their  coverings, 
while  the  others  stood  silently  by,  and,  as  if 
abashed  by  his  own  outburst,  bade  them  a  curt 
"  Good  night,"  and  walked  from  the  room.  The 
others,  with  the  burden  of  reticence  upon  them, 
filed  after  him  one  by  one,  contemplating  the 
strange  change  which  might  be  wrought  by  this 
night's  work,  and  wended  their  way  to  their 
homes. 

The  fog  settled  down  closer  and  impartially 
spread  itself  over  the  river,  the  White  House,  and 

182 


IN      THE     BEGINNING 

the  patrolman  on  his  beat,  but  until  the  dawn 
came  stealthily  peering  over  it  all  the  President 
wrapped  in  thought,  sat  at  his  desk,  and  in  imagi- 
nation saw  invincible  ships  of  war  bound  out  to 
certain  victory.  And  all  his  hope  was  founded  on 
a  war  for  peace. 


CHAPTER    II 

THE    BIRTH    OF   A    CITY 

IKE  criminals  afraid  of  the  light,  and 
seeking  the  cover  of  darkness,  a 
score  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
of  the  United  States,  occupying  its 
most  responsible  positions,  and  bearing  the  burden 
of  government,  came  to  the  White  House,  which 
loomed  massive  and  apparently  untenanted.  They 
came  singly,  obeying  the  instructions  given  them, 
left  their  conveyances  at  a  distance,  and  walked 
unattended  to  the  dark  portals,  which  opened  and 
closed  behind  them.  All  were  aware  of  the  porten- 
tous reason  for  their  visit,  and  the  importance  of 
the  utmost  secrecy.  Observant  indeed  would 
have  been  the  foreign  spy  who  could  have  sur- 
mised that  they  were  gathering  to  discuss  a  plan 
involving  the  defense  of  the  nation,  or  the  accept- 
ance of  a  challenge  to  war. 

There  were  only  two  visitors  who  came  to- 
gether, the  inventor  and  his  daughter,  and  they 
were  the  last  to  enter  the  room,  where  those  who 
preceded  them  were  divided  into  groups  round 
four  officers  of  the  navy,  who  were  answering 

184 


THE     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

questions,  quoting  figures,  and  volunteering  de- 
tails which  were  not  written.  The  men  at  the  head 
of  the  nation  were  preparing  to  plunge  headlong 
into  what  under  less  immediate  menace  would 
have  seemed  a  sea  of  folly  ready  to  submerge  them 
and  their  country. 

The  entrance  of  Norma  was  the  signal  for  an 
abrupt  halt  in  the  conversation,  and  some  of  those 
who  were  not  entirely  familiar  with  the  part  which 
she  played  in  her  father's  work  looked  at  her  dis- 
approvingly. 

He,  interpreting  these  glances,  introduced  her 
as  his  assistant,  and  concluded  by  saying,  "  I  can't 
do  anything  without  her.  She  knows  more  about 
my  work  than  I  do  myself,  and  as  far  as  I  know 
she's  the  only  woman  living  who  can  keep  her 
mouth  shut." 

They  smiled  at  his  manner  and  cynicism,  while 
the  President  tendered  her  a  seat  at  his  side  and 
waited  for  the  others  to  resume  their  chairs. 

"  All  of  you  are  familiar  now  with  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  invention  offered  by  Doctor  Rob- 
erts  " 

"  And  his  daughter  Norma,"  interjected  the 
inventor. 

The  President  accepted  the  alteration  and  con- 
tinued without  a  halt, — "  and  have  gone  over  the 
reports  of  the  four  most  expert  men  in  the  United 
States  navy,  who  have  passed  the  day  with  the  in- 

185 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ventor  and  his  daughter  in  their  laboratory,  are 
convinced  of  the  merit  and  practicability  of  the 
discovery,  and  have  prepared  statements  of  what 
supplies  would  be  needed,  the  time  in  which  they 
could  be  obtained,  and  their  approximate  cost.'* 

There  was  a  look  of  acquiescence,  and  the  Sec- 
retary of  the  Navy,  who  had  been  paying  no  heed 
whatever  to  the  chief  executive's  remarks,  rustled 
the  reports  in  his  hand  as  he  turned  another  page 
to  scan  its  contents.  The  room  became  still  again, 
and  the  speaker  went  on. 

"  Doctor  Roberts  tells  us  that  he  does  not  re- 
gard himself  as  beyond  the  experimental  stage; 
but  further  experiments  cannot  decrease  known 
values,  and  may  perhaps  add  to  them.  This  inven- 
tion as  it  stands,  in  the  opinion  of  the  four  men 
who  have  passed  the  day  in  testing  it,  is  sufficient 
to  enable  us  within  three  months  to  combat  suc- 
cessfully any  nation  which  might  begin  hostilities." 

Norma  looked  at  her  father  admiringly;  but  he 
seemed  oblivious  to  all  those  round  him,  and  sat 
absorbed  in  thought,  his  eyes  fixed  in  a  blank  stare 
of  concentration  into  space,  and  the  thumbs  of  his 
clasped  hands  revolving  round  each  other  aim- 
lessly. The  President  reached  over  to  a  mass  of 
papers  before  him,  referred  to  some  of  them  in 
quest  of  data,  and  then  looked  very  grave  and 
earnest  as  he  continued  in  a  lower  voice: 

"  Extraordinary  times  demand  extraordinary 
1 86 


THE     BIRTH      OF     A     CITY 

measures.  We  are  without  precedent,  and  are 
confronting  an  emergency  of  such  immense  import 
that  those  of  us  who  were  here  last  night  believe 
it  is  a  time  when  all  rules,  official  routine,  and  regu- 
lar methods  must  give  way  in  behalf  of  quick 
accomplishment.  We  have  no  time  in  which  to 
seek  special  appropriations;  but  must  take  it  upon 
ourselves  to  levy  upon  the  various  budgets  which 
are  now  open  for  the  considerable  sums  necessary 
to  prosecute  this  work." 

One  or  two,  who  were  evidently  late  arrivals 
and  had  not  heard  the  earlier  discussions,  looked 
at  each  other  with  some  hesitation.  It  was  hard 
to  drop  routine  and  dip  into  the  nation's  treasury 
on  such  short  consideration.  The  high  dignity  of 
the  presiding  officer,  however,  forbade  any  inter- 
ruption, and  he  went  on  unchallenged. 

"  The  absolute  preservation  of  our  secret  is  rec- 
ognized by  all  as  a  vital  necessity,  and  to  obviate 
all  leakages  the  members  of  the  army  and  navy 
board  suggest  that  our  work  be  carried  on  in  one 
of  the  most  secluded  of  the  Florida  keys.  On  this 
they  purpose  to  erect  a  plant  adequate  to  cast  and 
perfect  this  metal  on  which  we  depend,  and  as  rap- 
idly as  possible  apply  it  to  the  vessels  of  our  navy, 
which  will  be  sent  there  as  quickly  as  preparations 
can  be  made  for  their  reception." 

Norma,  who  had  not  been  informed  of  this  part 
of  the  project,  gave  a  start  of  protest  foreseeing 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

that  she  too  would  have  to  share  in  this  isolation 
and  become  an  exile  until  the  experiments  were 
concluded.  Her  father  turned  a  questioning  look 
toward  her,  and  then  reached  over  and  patted  her 
hand  in  sympathy.  The  President  was  steadily 
summing  up  the  situation. 

"  The  Navy  Department  will  attend  to  purchas- 
ing supplies,  including  machinery  and  crude  met- 
als necessary  for  the  first  work,  while  Doctor 
Roberts  will  place  his  orders  for  apparatus,  and 
all  will  be  consigned  to  the  collier  Penobscot, 
which  will  transport  them  to  the  chosen  spot.  The 
gunboat  Harper  will  accompany  her,  and  will  be 
the  first  boat  to  be  experimented  upon  and 
equipped  with  the  new  plates.  Rear  Admiral 
Brockton  will  be  assigned  to  her  command  for  the 
present.  These  two  ships  will  sail  from  New  York 
harbor,  together  with  a  small  transport  which  will 
carry  such  engineers  and  mechanics  as  the  Navy 
Department  may  select  for  a  work  of  this  impor- 
tance. Communication  will  be  maintained  by  such 
means  as  seem  best  to  Admiral  Brockton,  and 
more  men  and  supplies  will  be  dispatched  from 
time  to  time  as  required.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
the  entire  experimental  work,  the  casting  of  the 
plates,  and  the  general  supervision  of  everything 
will  be  under  the  direction  of  Doctor  Roberts." 

"And  his  assistant,"  the  inventor  again  inter- 
jected. 

188 


TH  E     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  obeying  a  sugges- 
tion from  the  chair,  read  off  a  long  list  of  figures, 
explaining  them  as  he  went,  and  concluding  with 
an  unqualified  indorsement  of  the  plan.  So  infec- 
tious was  his  blunt  enthusiasm  and  confidence, 
that  those  who  at  first  had  hesitated  at  the  irregu- 
larity of  the  procedure  found  themselves  won  over, 
and  bound  with  complete  unanimity  into  a  coterie 
which  was  to  assume  responsibility  for  a  war.  And 
thus  was  the  issue  accepted. 

The  early  hours  of  the  morning  were  upon  them 
as  they  dispersed,  but  Norma,  resting  back  in  the 
corner  of  the  cab  which  conveyed  her  homeward, 
did  not  share  the  elation  of  her  father,  who  was 
already  building  workshops,  conducting  new  ex- 
periments, and  equipping  a  navy.  Yesterday  she 
had  looked  forward  to  confiding  the  story  of  their 
great  success  to  Guy  Hillier;  for  in  the  preceding 
month,  when  she  and  her  father  had  been  trem- 
bling on  the  very  verge  of  a  great  discovery  in 
unknown  fields,  she  had  given  no  intimation  of 
their  work  or  their  prospects,  planning  this  sur- 
prise, and  now,  by  the  rigid  embargo  of  silence 
thrust  upon  her,  her  dream  was  dissipated.  To 
her  the  production  of  this  radioactive  metal  had 
meant  a  goal;  but  now,  that  it  was  reached  and 
she  was  anxious  to  satisfy  a  heart  hunger,  she  had 
been  given  another  task,  and  was  to  undergo  more 
silence  and  repression  and  another  siege  of  work 

189 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

in  a  world  of  figures,  of  test  tubes  and  retorts,  a 
slave  to  the  lamp  of  science  and  her  father's  suc- 
cess. Not  even  the  knowledge  that  she  was 
sacrificing  herself  on  the  altar  of  duty  to  country, 
whose  protection  and  welfare  were  burdens  that 
she  must  share,  palliated  the  bitterness  of  holding 
love  aloof.  And  in  this  light  the  triumphs  of  in- 
vention seemed  hollow  and  the  night  filled  with 
dreariness. 

There  were  no  more  regular  meetings  of  those 
who  conspired  for  the  national  good;  but  it  was 
a  season  of  terrific  activity,  and  February  was  yet 
young  when  there  sailed  away  from  New  York 
harbor  one  night  a  gunboat,  a  collier,  and  a  small 
transport,  whose  destinations  were  unknown,  and 
which  slipped  their  moorings  in  silence  and  passed 
down  the  bay  with  scarcely  a  sound  to  announce 
their  departure. 

On  board  the  gunboat  were  men  accustomed  to 
unquestioning  obedience,  and  on  the  transport  was 
a  little  army  of  skilled  mechanics  and  engineers 
who  had  been  called  from  their  usual  occupation 
by  imperative  orders  and  requested  to  tell  none 
but  their  families  that  they  might  be  absent  for 
several  months.  There  was  not  a  man  aboard  any 
of  the  craft  who  had  not  taken  a  pledge  of  absolute 
secrecy. 

The  collier,  black  and  massive,  was  loaded 
almost  beyond  her  carrying  capacity,  and  even  on 

190 


THE     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

her  decks  were  piled  lumber  and  great  sheets  of 
corrugated  iron,  bearing  evidence  of  full  holds 
below.  And  all  this  cargo  had  the  history  of 
rushed  work  behind  it.  Strange  pieces  of  machin- 
ery, sections  of  engines,  powerful  dynamos,  and 
unheard  of  apparatus  were  stowed  away  with  cases 
of  chemicals,  and  the  mines  of  the  North,  the 
West,  and  the  South  had  contributed  crude  metals 
or  partially  smelted  ores  to  the  assortment.  Driven 
by  expert  minds  and  masters  of  executive  work, 
an  army  of  men  in  different  walks  of  life  had  given 
their  ingenuity  and  effort  toward  something  of 
which  they  knew  not,  and  then  the  result  of  their 
labors  had  poured  out  upon  a  wharf,  been  swal- 
lowed up  by  the  cavernous  holds  of  a  collier,  and 
were  now  being  carried  out  into  the  broad  reaches 
of  the  Atlantic,  with  destination  unknown. 

A  general  order  had  been  issued  and  made  pub- 
lic, that,  inasmuch  as  the  poaching  of  Cuban  fish- 
ermen on  American  grounds  round  lower  Florida 
and  the  keys  demanded  attention,  the  gunboat 
Penobscot  had  been  detailed  to  patrol  those 
waters.  In  the  United  States  this  attracted  no 
attention;  but  the  swarthy  fishermen  of  the  trop- 
ics took  warning  and  no  longer  steered  their 
smacks  to  the  forbidden  waters,  shrugging  their 
shoulders  in  impotent  wrath. 

Rumor  had  it  that  the  transport  was  carrying 
mechanics  and  laborers  to  the  Philippines,  where  a 

191 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

new  drydock  was  to  be  constructed,  and  the  collier 
was  generally  supposed  by  men  of  the  waterfront 
to  be  laden  with  materials  for  this  work.  And  so, 
despite  the  momentous  significance  of  the  sailing 
of  these  three  ships,  the  world  remained  in  igno- 
rance, paid  little  heed,  or  forgot. 

Those  voyagers  who  were  in  the  secret  looked 
forward  with  eagerness  to  the  task  before  them, 
realizing  to  the  full  that  on  them  depended  much. 
And  of  these  was  Norma,  who  leaned  over  the 
stern  rail  of  the  Penobscot  as  it  dropped  down  the 
harbor,  watched  the  lights  of  the  city  grow  dim  in 
the  distance,  saw  the  great,  silent  Statue  of  Lib- 
erty rear  itself  against  the  sky,  and  felt  the  first 
free  swell  lift  and  sway  the  deck  beneath  her  feet. 
Her  departure  had  not  been  pleasant. 

There  on  the  land  behind  was  the  man  whom 
she  seemed  doomed  forever  to  hold  at  arm's 
length.  She  had  parted  from  him  with  the  an- 
nouncement that  her  father  was  compelled  to  go 
south  for  a  time,  and  had  insisted  on  her  accom- 
panying him.  For  how  long?  Ah,  that  could  be 
but  conjecture;  perhaps  for  two  or  three  months. 
Was  he  ill?  No,  not  exactly;  but  he  was  going 
away  and  needed  her.  Yes,  she  would  write  occa- 
sionally from  Miami,  Florida;  but  not  often,  be- 
cause her  charge  would  demand  her  time.  And 
so,  answering  and  evading,  filled  with  yearning, 
and  yet  debarred  from  giving  confidence,  she  had 

192 


THE     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

bidden  him  good  by  and  come  to  this :  sailing  away 
in  the  night  with  all  the  furtiveness  and  mystery 
which  enshrouded  pirate  ships  of  old  bent  on 
plunder  and  rapine. 

The  days  of  the  voyage  were  much  alike:  filled 
with  work.  Down  in  the  cabins  the  engineers  and 
machinists  drew  hasty  plans  of  buildings,  then 
marked  spots  where  machines  were  to  have  floor 
space,  drew  diagrams  for  transmission  of  power, 
and  consulted  charts  showing  the  depths  of  water 
round  their  prospective  shipyard.  They  had  not 
even  time  to  watch  the  devious  course  in  and  out 
among  the  islands  which  marked  their  entry  to 
the  scene  of  toil.  When  the  pulsations  of  the 
screw  stopped  and  the  ship  ceased  her  vibrations, 
they  were  still  at  their  several  tasks,  and  were  dis- 
turbed when  the  anchor  chains  went  rumbling 
through  their  hawser  pipes. 

Like  an  army  of  ants,  drilled  and  acclimated, 
they  swarmed  out  upon  the  land,  the  sappers 
clearing  the  way,  the  carpenters  donning  their 
aprons  and  grasping  their  tools  while  piles  of  lum- 
ber, kegs  of  bolts  and  nails,  and  mountains  of  iron 
sheathing  accumulated  upon  the  beach.  And 
then,  as  the  ringing  of  a  multitude  of  hammers  and 
the  steady  biting  song  of  the  saws  filled  the  air 
with  sounds  of  industry,  great  cases  of  machinery 
swung  up  from  the  holds,  floated  dizzily  to  the  bul- 
warks, and  went  slowly  down  to  the  lighters.  A 

193 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

city  of  tents  sprang  up  as  by  necromancy,  with 
gutters  to  carry  off  the  rains,  and  sewers  to  pre- 
vent disease.  Camp  surgeons  accustomed  to  sani- 
tation superintended  these  outposts,  paying  as 
much  attention  to  the  spreading  of  a  mosquito  net 
to  keep  away  the  dread  stygomia,  as  to  tautening 
the  canvas  roofs  and  clearing  the  grounds. 

All  available  means  of  a  resourceful  nation  had 
been  gathered  together  as  an  expert  driver  seizes 
the  reins  of  a  four-in-hand  and  guides  his  horses 
along  a  known  road  to  a  given  destination,  and  all 
with  the  regularity  which  would  distinguish  the 
work  had  it  been  the  most  unimportant  action  of 
every  day  industry. 

Norma,  having  no  part  in  this  task  of  construc- 
tion, wandered  idly  up  and  down  the  decks  or 
round  the  clearing  throughout  the  day;  and  as  she 
watched  she  saw  the  birth  of  a  miniature  city,  saw 
the  heaps  of  material  on  the  beach  dissipated,  saw 
tall  steel  smokestacks  poke  their  summits  upward 
supported  by  spider  like  cables,  saw  shining,  cor- 
rugated roofs  spread  themselves  protectingly  over 
floors  whereon  machinery  was  already  being 
placed,  and  wondered  at  the  accomplishment. 

The  sun  went  down,  losing  itself  among  the 
keys  and  waters  of  the  farther  west,  before  a  bugle 
gave  a  quick  imperative  summons  and  the  toilers 
dropped  their  tools  for  the  evening  meal.  Many 
of  the  officers,  some  of  them  grimy  and  stained 

194 


THE     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

with  work,  their  linen  no  longer  immaculate,  and 
their  hair  unkempt,  came  aboard  the  gunboat  for 
dinner.  They  ate  hurriedly  like  men  in  the  field, 
and  one  by  one,  with  scant  apology  to  their  fellow 
diners,  disappeared.  Norma  was  almost  the  last 
to  leave  the  cabin  and  appear  on  deck,  which  to 
her  surprise  was  vacant.  Even  as  she  glanced 
along  its  deserted  length  there  came  a  whistle 
from  the  shore. 

Darkness  had  descended  abruptly  and  piled  its 
blackness  over  the  islands  and  seas  of  the  tropics. 
The  palm  trees  and  shrubbery  out  to  the  west  were 
silhouetted  against  the  last  faint  light  of  day,  and 
from  the  swamps  of  the  inland  came  the  cries  of 
night  fowl,  the  whir  and  chirruping  noise  of  in- 
sect life,  and  the  monotonous  croaking  of  frogs. 
Swinging  here  and  there  in  erratic  circles,  like 
fairies  of  the  jungle  carrying  lighted  lanterns,  went 
the  fireflies  on  aimless  journeyings,  not  a  few  but 
many  thousands  of  them,  as  if  in  a  wild  dance  of 
curiosity,  looking  through  the  night  to  learn  what 
manner  of  things  these  were  that  had  come  upon 
them  so  suddenly,  ripped  away  their  forests,  and 
built  strange  mansions  in  their  solitudes. 

It  was  not  this,  however,  that  chained  her  atten- 
tion. High  up  over  this  mushroom  city  where  all 
had  been  silent  and  darkening  when  she  went 
below,  now  gleamed  myriad  lights  strung  as  by  a 
genii  of  the  lamp  while  others  rested  from  their 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

toil.  White,  flaring  streaks  of  brilliance  thrust 
spearlike  rays  into  the  gloom,  illuminating  below 
them  the  creation  of  a  day.  From  the  distance 
came  the  steady  hum  of  steam  driven  dynamos, 
telling  with  monotonous  insistence  that  there 
would  be  no  cessation  until  the  last  spike  was 
driven,  the  last  machine  set,  and  the  last  belting 
hung.  Into  this  spot  of  the  night  began  to  come 
black  figures  answering  the  call  of  the  siren.  On 
a  sudden,  as  if  by  preconcerted  signal,  the  echoes 
again  awoke  to  the  clang  of  hammers  on  steel  and 
the  hum  of  voices  in  command.  Like  weird  pyg- 
mies doomed  to  twist  their  thews  in  never  ending 
effort,  she  saw  them  resume  their  uncompleted 
task,  exerting  themselves  unceasingly  for  its  ac- 
complishment. 

A  launch  which  had  come  alongside  on  some 
errand  was  sputtering  spasmodically  at  the  foot  of 
the  ladder  below  as  if  impatient  to  be  off.  She 
boarded  it,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  smart  young 
naval  officer  stepped  into  the  stern,  gave  a  curt 
order,  and  they  raced  away  toward  the  shore. 

"  Ah,  good  evening,  Miss  Roberts,"  he  said, 
suddenly  spying  her.  "  Looking  for  your  father, 
who  went  ashore  awhile  ago,  I  presume?  I'm 
going  right  in  his  direction,  and  will  be  glad  to 
guide  you."  He  seemed  too  busy  for  further  con- 
versation, and  almost  before  the  boat  had  come  to 
a  stop  sprang  to  the  shingle  and  offered  his  hand. 

196 


THE     BIRTH     OF     A     CITY 

Through  steadily  working  groups  of  men,  past 
unfinished  buildings,  and  over  lighted  floors  where 
machinists  wrought  with  levers  and  wrenches,  they 
went  to  the  far  side  of  the  camp.  Here  were  offi- 
cers with  coats  cast  off  and  sleeves  rolled  up,  and 
laborers  in  overalls  intent  on  setting  a  huge  blast 
furnace;  and  in  the  very  heart  of  this  activity,  be- 
smirched with  dirt,  his  hat  discarded,  and  his  shirt 
thrown  open,  she  found  her  father.  Not  even  he 
with  all  his  weight  of  years  could  resist  this  terrific 
call  of  energy.  She  stood  and  watched  for  a  few 
minutes,  while  he,  the  master  spirit  of  the  group, 
directed  the  work.  It  seemed  to  have  passed  its 
critical  point,  and  after  some  final  instructions  to 
the  engineer  in  charge  he  straightened  up  and 
looked  round. 

"  Hello,  here's  the  assistant,"  he  said,  walking 
toward  her  and  looking  fondly  into  her  eyes.  She 
besought  him  to  rest,  and  her  appeals  were  sec- 
onded by  those  of  the  officers  who  feared  for  the 
physical  strength  of  this  man  on  whom  so  much 
depended,  and  who  would  have  guarded  him  as  a 
precious  jewel  of  untold  worth.  He  protested  at 
first,  and  then,  like  one  waking  from  a  dream  and 
suddenly  conscious  of  a  great  weariness,  made 
no  objection  when  the  Rear  Admiral,  who  now 
looked  like  a  workman,  put  his  hat  upon  his  head 
and  tendered  him  his  coat.  He  permitted  them  to 
throw  it  over  his  shoulders,  and  finally,  with  a  look 
14  197 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

of  infinite  satisfaction  at  the  growing  structure 
before  him,  took  his  daughter's  arm  and  tramped 
away.  He  was  an  old  man  again,  yielding  the 
tribute  of  age  to  the  toil  of  youth. 

They  boarded  the  boat  and  sought  their  cabins; 
but  even  as  they  retired  there  came  to  them 
through  the  open  portholes,  like  a  lullaby,  the 
sounds  of  unremitting  labor  intermingled  with  the 
lap  of  waves  on  the  coral  beach.  The  first  creative 
step  toward  a  national  victory  and  supremacy  had 
been  taken  in  a  day,  even  while  the  war  cloud 
across  western  seas  was  gathering  strength  for  its 
overcast;  and,  waiting,  wondering,  and  expectant, 
the  world  was  unaware. 


CHAPTER    III 

THE   GREAT   DISCOVERY 

ROM  the  shore  came  a  dull,  moaning 
sound,  now  rising,  now  falling,  but 
incessant,  as  if  some  gigantic  animal, 
stricken  and  suffering,  was  shriek- 
ing the  anguish  of  its  death  throes  to  the  solitudes 
of  the  keys  and  the  waste  of  waters  round  them. 
The  frightened  birds  took  flight  to  the  north  to 
escape  the  weird  monotone,  and  the  timid  animals 
of  the  forest  cowered  in  fear;  but  the  men  of  the 
island  looked  at  one  another  exultantly,  with  mu- 
tual congratulations  on  the  rapidity  of  their  work. 
The  blast  furnace  which  was  to  cast  the  plates  was 
being  blown  in. 

Days  and  nights  of  unremitting  toil  had  fol- 
lowed that  first  landing;  machine  shops  had  been 
completely  installed,  power  plants  perfected,  and 
buildings  for  the  men  erected;  additional  supplies 
had  been  received;  and  another  gunboat,  the 
Columbia,  augmented  the  patrol  which  passed 
ceaselessly  round  the  keys,  guarding  their  secret 
and  warning  inquisitive  fishermen  to  avoid  the 
waters;  corps  of  expert  smelting  men  from  the 

199 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

mines  of  the  west  had  joined  the  colony, — and  all 
for  this,  the  casting  of  the  first  plate,  which  was  to 
take  place  this  day. 

In  the  assay  rooms  there  had  been  the  constant 
testing  of  crude  metals,  and  apportioning  them 
and  discarding  those  which  were  inferior.  Trained 
hands  were  those  that  worked  over  the  bucking 
boards  and  manipulated  the  delicate  scales  which 
would  register  the  tiniest  mark  of  a  lead  pencil 
with  as  great  accuracy  as  they  would  a  pound 
weight.  Everywhere  about  the  plant  were  men 
who  wrought  with  precision  and  interest,  bound 
together  in  the  great  enterprise  until  differences  in 
station  were  forgotten  and  all  were  as  a  family 
praying  for  success. 

"  Old  Bill "  Roberts,  assisted  by  his  daughter, 
had  permitted  no  foot  but  theirs  to  enter  the  room 
where  his  apparatus  was  installed,  and  no  hand  but 
theirs  to  touch  its  complicated  mechanism.  With 
the  love  of  a  creator  he  had  spent  the  last  hours 
fondling  its  cold,  unresponsive  parts  and  adjusting 
it,  and  then  stood  and  watched,  as  a  mother 
watches  her  firstborn,  the  initial  movements  of  the 
great  masterpiece  which  was  a  mystery  to  all  the 
world  but  him  and  Norma. 

Engineers  and  officers  from  all  parts  of  the 
plant,  warned  that  the  crucial  test  was  at  hand, 
gathered  round  the  door  of  the  innermost  room, 
until  invited  in  by  the  inventor,  and  then  slowly 

200 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

entered  and  found  standing  places  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance from  the  intricate  mass,  whose  polished 
knobs,  twisted  bars,  and  gleaming  tubes  seemed 
to  them  a  tangled  riddle.  Norma,  garbed  in  the 
stained  khaki  wrapper  which  she  wore  in  the  lab- 
oratory at  home,  hovered  here  and  there  round 
the  apparatus,  lightly  trying  an  adjustment  or 
closely  inspecting  a  joint,  her  face  grave,  calm, 
and  self  possessed.  Her  father,  his  thin  old  face 
drawn  into  a  scowl  of  concentration,  busied  him- 
self likewise,  and  made  the  final  connections.  So 
careful  was  he  that  he  even  inspected  the  duplicate 
apparatus  which  stood  as  a  reserve  at  the  other 
end  of  a  casting  mold,  but  which  it  was  not  his 
intention  to  use  except  in  case  of  emergency. 
Satisfied  that  all  was  in  readiness,  he  beckoned  to 
two  assistants,  who  trundled  in  the  first  composite 
plate  and  deposited  it  in  its  bed.  He  made  the 
connection  with  the  electrodes  in  a  few  minutes' 
deft  work,  and  then  straightened  up  and  looked 
about  the  room,  where  all  was  still  and  expectant. 
The  wondering  engineers  saw  him  wrave  his 
daughter  back  a  short  distance  as  though  fearing 
for  her  safety,  watched  him  take  a  final  look  over 
his  appliance,  and  then  throw  a  switch.  Brilliant 
streaks  of  purple,  of  unknown  reds  and  glaring 
whites,  raced  each  other  in  quick  succession 
through  the  tubes,  little  indicators  here  and  there 
sparked  out  malevolently,  and  the  machine  seemed 

201 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

to  leap,  strain,  and  throb  with  a  life  of  its  -own,  un- 
canny and  mysterious  because  of  its  silence.  The 
group  of  men  peered  curiously  at  the  plate,  saw 
it  glow  a  dull  red,  pass  the  cherry  stage  to  a  dull 
pigeon  blue,  and  then  suddenly  burst  into  a  gleam- 
ing mass  of  iridescent  white. 

"  Fusion!  "  one  of  the  engineers  whispered  to  a 
man  beside  him.  "  He  has  fused  that  plate  in  less 
time  than  it  could  be  done  by  any  means  I  ever 
heard  of.  That  is  the  way  he  metamorphoses  his 
metal." 

The  rays  died  out,  the  apparatus  stopped  its 
quivering,  and  the  inventor  with  hands  clasped  be- 
hind him  stood  intently  watching  the  now  cooling 
metal.  Within  the  laboratory  all  was  silence. 
From  the  adjoining  buildings  came  the  regular 
sound  of  hammers,  and  from  somewhere  off 
toward  the  cabins  a  man's  voice  was  raised  in  a 
song  of  soldiery.  The  sheet  of  metal  lost  its  color 
and  became  dark.  Old  Bill  Roberts  pressed  a 
button  above  his  head,  and  cooling  sprays  began 
dissipating  themselves  over  its  surface,  sending  up 
brief  splutterings  and  clouds  of  rapidly  diminish- 
ing steam. 

"  It's  cool  enough  now  to  handle/'  he  said  in  an 
oddly  constrained  tone  of  voice,  turning  to  the  en- 
gineers, "  and  if  some  of  you  will  help  me  carry  it 
to  the  testing  tank  you  may  see  me  prove  the  first 
plate  on  which  hangs  the  fate  of  our  country." 

202 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

In  an  awed  hush  of  expectancy  they  all  volun- 
teered; but  only  three  men  were  needed  to  hold  it 
while  it  was  attached  to  the  great  arms  which  were 
to  revolve  it  in  the  water  and  demonstrate  its  re- 
sistance. The  inventor  threw  a  switch,  and  the 
sheet  began  to  move.  Before  him  was  a  dial,  and 
beneath  it  a  scale  of  friction  pulls  showing  the  re- 
sistance offered  by  normal  metal.  He  fastened 
his  eyes  on  the  indicator  with  a  look  of  strained 
watchfulness.  Slowly  the  needle  point  swung 
round  as  the  arms  gained  the  maximum  of  speed, 
and  then  it  came  to  a  standstill,  while  a  look  of 
doubt  and  perplexity  crept  over  the  scientist's 
face. 

"Norm,"  he  called  huskily,— "  Norm!  Was 
everything  all  right?  Is  everything  working 
true?  " 

She  took  a  step  behind  him,  and  with  a  look  no 
less  worried  than  his  own  stared  at  the  dials  indi- 
cating the  speed  of  revolution  and  the  scale  of 
resistance.  ".Yes,  father,"  she  replied  gently, 
"  everything  is  all  right."  She  put  her  arm  over 
his  shoulder  as  if  to  shield  him.  "  But  something 
must  have  gone  wrong  somewhere  else.  Come 
away  now,  and  let  us  think  it  over." 

She  turned  to  the  waiting  officers  behind  and 
looked  them  calmly  in  their  faces,  while  the  in- 
ventor, dazed  and  uncomprehending,  ran  his  fin- 
gers through  his  shock  of  white  hair  and  gazed  at 

203 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

the  telltale  dials  as  if  hypnotized  by  two  staring 
eyes. 

"  Gentlemen,"  she  said,  "  the  first  experiment  is 
a  failure!" 

Those  among  them  who  had  been  slightly  skep- 
tical smiled  at  one  another,  while  those  whose 
belief  had  been  more  firm  looked  sympathetically 
at  this  slip  of  a  girl,  who  faced  them  all  in  steady 
defiance,  her  trust  in  her  father,  herself,  and  their 
invention  unshaken  and  unfaltering. 

"  You,  Mr.  Jenkins,"  she  said,  addressing  one  of 
the  engineers,  "  are  yourself  a  scientist  and  an  ex- 
perimentalist. You  of  all  present  know  how  easy 
it  is  for  a  tiny  mistake  to  rob  delicate  work  of  defi- 
nite result."  There  was  a  note  of  appeal  in  her 
voice  that  reached  them  all. 

As  if  with  one  accord  they  rushed  forward, 
grasping  her  hand  and  surrounding  her  father, 
giving  them  words  of  encouragement. 

It  was  the  gruff  voice  of  the  old  Admiral  which 
aroused  them  to  renewed  action.  "  Pshaw,  Bill! 
that's  nothing,"  he  growled.  "  Here!  We've  got 
more  plates  cast.  Throw  another  on,  and  give  it 
a  try  out.  Wake  up,  man!  Wake  up!  We've  got 
to  make  it  go!  " 

Jenkins  and  two  others  rushed  to  the  adjoining 
room  and  brought  in  a  second  slab  of  metal,  and 
the  old  inventor,  giving  himself  a  shake  as  if  pull- 
ing back  from  the  very  vortex  of  despair,  with 

204 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

trembling  hands  placed  the  sheet  of  insulation  and 
made  the  new  connections  with  the  plate. 

"  Norm,"  he  almost  whispered,  "  you  look  it 
over  and  turn  the  current  on  this  time.  Somehow 
my  eyes  seem  to  have  gone  back  on  me." 

Again  they  watched  from  a  distance  the  steady 
movements  of  the  assistant,  who  without  a  tremor 
threw  on  the  current,  held  it  in  leash,  and  directed 
it  as  if  within  her  hand  she  held  the  clutch  of  a 
friend.  Once  more  they  saw  the  metal  cool,  the 
sprays  turned  on,  and  then  came  a  dull,  grinding, 
riving  sound,  and  a  column  of  dust  shot  up  into  the 
air  and  bellowed  out  over  the  room.  They  saw 
her  fall  back  unconscious  as  if  from  some  sudden 
shock,  and  instinctively  sprang  to  her  aid. 

In  mortal  fear  that  some  disaster  had  overtaken 
her,  some  unknown  injury  from  that  apparatus 
whose  voltage  was  as  deadly  as  that  which  sweeps 
through  a  murderer's  chair,  they  picked  her  up 
and  carried  her  out  into  one  of  the  draughting 
rooms  and  laid  her  limp  form  on  a  table. 

Her  father  in  a  burst  of  terrible  anxiety  tore 
open  her  corsage  and  ran  his  hand  over  her  heart. 
"  She's  not  dead!  "  he  whispered  hoarsely.  "  She's 
been  knocked  out  by  a  wild  current  or  something 
I  don't  understand." 

A  long  breath  of  relief  encircled  the  room.  Not 
until  she  recovered  consciousness  and  sat  weakly 
up  was  the  suspense  mitigated. 

205 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"Feel  better,  little  girl?"  the  old  Admiral 
asked,  and  the  others  pressed  forward  with  solici- 
tous inquiries. 

She  looked  at  them  for  a  moment,  regained  her 
mental  control,  and  answered,  "  Yes,  I'm  all  right 
now;  but  don't  mind  me.  What  of  the  plate?  " 

They  smiled  at  one  another  as  it  dawned  upon 
them  that  the  plate  had  been  forgotten.  It  was 
manifestly  unfair  that  she  of  all  others  should  not 
share  with  them  the  first  knowledge  of  what  had 
been  accomplished;  so  as  a  guard  of  honor  they 
supported  her  back  to  where  the  cruel  agent  stood, 
and  then  one  and  all  started  back  with  exclama- 
tions of  amazement. 

The  plate  on  which  they  were  building  their 
hopes  had  disappeared!  Where  the  insulated  tank 
which  held  it  had  reared  its  squatty  length  was 
now  a  ragged  hole  in  the  floor,  bordered  by  the 
slivered  ends  of  twisted  and  shattered  wood,  and 
beneath  this  was  a  yawning  hole  several  feet 
deep,  broken  electric  wires,  and  the  great  slab  of 
metal. 

Norma,  as  if  the  excitement  of  the  discovery 
had  acted  as  a  tonic,  released  herself  from  the  sup- 
porting arms,  walked  to  the  shining  brass  struc- 
ture, and  leaned  against  it.  Brockton  pulled  off 
his  cap  and  scratched  his  head  in  a  puzzled  way, 
and  Jenkins  removed  the  glasses  from  his  nose 
and  began  nervously  polishing  them.  The  other 

206 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

engineers  gaped  at  each  other,  at  the  inventor,  and 
then  back  to  the  hole,  wherein  to  all  appearances 
was  buried  the  thing  on  which  they  had  built  all 
their  hope.  "  Old  Bill "  Roberts  stood  by  its 
edges,  looking  down  and  examining  the  broken 
wires,  a  picture  of  perplexity  or  despair.  He  came 
back  and  crowded  through  their  midst,  examining 
a  connection  and  tracing  out  one  of  the  strands, 
and  then  stood  in  listless  attitude,  his  brows  drawn 
into  a  frown,  and  his  arms  hanging  loose  and  pen- 
dulous from  his  shoulders.  The  time  stretched 
into  minutes,  and  Jenkins  and  Norma  began  a  dis- 
cussion, to  which  the  others  listened,  striving  to 
understand  the  phraseology  of  electrical  science, 
of  which  many  of  them  had  little  more  than  the 
layman's  knowledge.  Suddenly  a  sharp  cry  came 
from  the  inventor. 

They  looked  to  the  other  side  of  the  room, 
whither  he  had  retreated,  and  beheld  him  jumping 
up  and  down  like  a  madman.  His  fists  were 
clenched  and  thrust  into  the  air,  where  they 
opened  clawlike  and  waved  a  tremolo  of  excite- 
ment. "  I've  got  it!  "  he  screamed.  "  I've  solved 
it!" 

They  drew  back  from  him,  fearing  that  failure 
had  loosened  his  brain;  but  he  rushed  through  the 
group,  excitedly  calling  for  men  to  repair  the 
break.  The  Admiral,  unused  to  his  periods  of  en- 
thusiasm, stared  at  him  blankly,  his  lower  jaw  un- 

207 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

consciously  dropping  until  his  mouth  yawned  in 
cavernous  suspense.  In  his  mind  nothing  but  in- 
sanity could  account  for  this  outburst. 

Norma,  on  the  other  hand,  laid  a  restraining 
hand  on  his  arm  and  said,  "  Father,  what's  the 
matter?  What  is  it?  " 

"We've  been  working  in  the  dark!"  he  an- 
swered vehemently,  and  then  with  the  jubilation  of 
a  boy  but  in  a  calmer  tone  continued,  "  By  an  ac- 
cident we  have  discovered  powers  in  our  combina- 
tion of  electricity  and  metallurgy  that  we  have  not 
dreamed  of,  and  which,  if  we  can  control  them, 
make  the  resistant  armor  we  came  down  here  to 
manufacture  as  useless  as  a  wooden  hull!  " 

The  Admiral  suddenly  dropped  his  bulk  to  a 
stool.  "  Good  God!  "  he  gasped,  "  are  you  mad?  " 

Norma,  like  one  from  whose  eyes  a  hoodwink 
has  been  suddenly  removed,  and  appearing  almost 
to  have  read  her  father's  mind,  put  her  hand  out 
to  his  shoulder  and  looked  at  him  searchingly.  A 
slow  grin  of  great  exultation  swept  over  the  lean 
old  face  into  which  she  peered,  drove  the  wrinkles 
into  the  corners  of  the  eyes,  and  a  mass  of  radiat- 
ing furrows  round  the  mouth. 

"  You've  guessed  it,"  he  said,  and  then  turned 
to  the  Admiral.  "  Brockton,  you  don't  know  what 
that  hole  meant;  but  in  an  hour  from  now  I'm 
going  to  show  you.  That  is,  Norma,  my  assistant, 
and  I  will." 

208 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

Then  in  a  sudden  frenzy  for  work  he  asked  them 
all  to  leave  until  he  sent  for  them,  and  they,  won- 
dering and  speculating  on  his  next  endeavor, 
obeyed.  Only  the  workmen,  who  had  descended 
into  the  cavity  and  were  preparing  to  hoist  the 
plate  and  mold,  and  the  Admiral,  by  special  invita- 
tion, remained.  The  clang  of  hammers  resounded 
hollowly  through  the  room  as  the  timbers  beneath 
the  floor  were  shored  up  by  the  carpenters;  then 
came  the  setting  of  another  and  larger  tank  than 
the  one  which  had  been  so  unexpectedly  driven 
into  the  earth.  The  smaller  plates  which  had  been 
intended  only  for  experimental  purposes  were  ex- 
hausted, and  therefore  they  had  nothing  on  which 
to  operate  save  two  immense  castings  weighing 
many  tons.  Wide  sliding  doors  rolled  back,  and 
workmen  from  the  foundry,  with  straining  muscles 
and  clinging  toes,  slowly  pushed  in  low  wheeled 
cars  on  which  rested  the  huge  pieces  of  metal.  A 
steel  crane  projected  its  ungainly  arm,  reached 
slowly  down,  and  in  a  Titanic  grasp  picked  up  one 
piece,  moved  it  into  position  over  the  new  bed,  and 
deposited  it  in  a  great  basin  whose  material  indi- 
cated that  it  would  be  able  to  withstand  any  heat. 

The  Admiral  in  boyish  exuberance  would  have 
thrown  wide  the  door;  but  the  inventor,  remem- 
bering the  other  contretemps,  forbade.  The  latter 
busied  himself  for  a  few  minutes  in  his  storehouse, 
and  returned  with  a  sheet  of  peculiar  insulation 

209 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

which  was  of  his  own  invention,  almost  indestructi- 
ble by  heat,  and  a  resistant  to  any  form  of  radio- 
activity, which  he  placed  with  great  care  on  top 
of  the  huge  plate.  The  second  plate  was  lowered 
squarely  on  top  of  this,  clamped  for  additional  se- 
curity, and  the  workmen  dismissed.  The  connec- 
tions were  made  in  identically  the  same  way  as 
in  the  previous  test,  except  that  one  electrical 
apparatus  was  attached  to  the  upper  plate  above 
the  insulation  and  the  other  to  the  one  beneath. 
Brockton,  seeing  that  the  currents  were  about  to 
be  applied,  backed  off  into  the  corner,  until 
stopped  by  the  farthermost  partition. 

"  It's  all  right  this  time,"  the  inventor  assured 
him.  "  Wild  current  and  wet  floor  before,  badly 
insulated  handle  too.  All  fixed  up  now.  Won't 
be  any  accident  this  time,"  and  so  on,  making  the 
final  inspection  of  his  apparatus  as  he  talked. 
Norma  reviewed  her  father's  work,  to  be  certain 
that  all  was  well,  and  then  at  a  nod  from  him  took 
her  station  at  that  other  monster  which  had  not 
been  used  hitherto.  There  was  a  simultaneous 
movement  on  their  part,  and,  as  if  suddenly  en- 
dowed with  a  soul,  the  lights  once  more  flashed 
here  and  there,  glaring  at  them  with  sinister  con- 
tempt— Frankensteins  under  control! 

The  Admiral,  fascinated  by  the  mystery  of 
science,  stared  at  the  white  haired  old  man  who 
was  calmly  watching  his  play  of  colors,  and  then 

210 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

at  the  girl  who  with  equal  self  possession  and  cool- 
ness manipulated  the  strange  currents  beneath  her 
hands.  They  were  animated  as  by  one  mind, 
throwing  their  levers  and  switches  to  and  fro  at 
identically  the  same  moment  without  looking  at 
each  other,  and  the  click  of  the  closing  currents 
came  in  unison.  Not  until  then  did  they  step 
back  from  their  stations  and  interchange  what 
seemed  to  the  Admiral  mutual  glances  of  congrat- 
ulation. 

"  That  assistant  of  mine  is  a  wonder! "  was  all 
the  old  man  said  as  he  came  over,  dragged  a  stool 
up  beside  that  on  which  the  officer  sat,  and  glee- 
fully rubbed  his  hands  together.  "  She  thinks 
more  clearly  than  I  do." 

Brockton,  who  had  been  tense  as  a  violin  string 
and  had  almost  forgotten  to  breathe,  drew  a  long 
breath  and  looked  at  the  girl,  who  had  been 
leaning  against  the  wall  as  though  exhausted, 
but  was  now  watching  the  slowly  cooling  metal. 
He  would  have  asked  questions;  but  the  in- 
ventor turned  to  him  and  with  an  air  of  triumph 
said: 

"  I  wish  you  would  invite  back  all  those  who 
were  here  when  we  made  the  first  test.  Then  you 
will  have  the  explanation  unless  I  am  again  mis- 
taken." 

The  Admiral  obeyed,  and  even  as  the  cooling 
sprays  were  sifting  over  the  great  pieces  of  metal 

211 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

they  came  trooping  in  from  the  work  which  they 
had  resumed.  There  were  men  from  the  draught- 
ing rooms,  with  pencils  behind  their  ears,  engineers 
from  the  outside  with  shirt  sleeves  rolled  up  and 
forgotten  diagrams  under  their  arms,  and  one  man 
came  from  the  laboratory  absentmindedly  carry- 
ing a  test  tube,  balancing  it  so  that  he  might  spill 
none  of  the  liquid  which  it  contained.  Norma  was 
now  resting  calmly  against  one  of  the  huge  dead 
machines. 

In  a  tone  of  unusual  gravity  Roberts  addressed 
them.  "  Boys,"  he  began, — they  were  all  boys  to 
him, — "  you  have  witnessed  the  accidental  discov- 
ery, I  believe,  of  the  most  powerful  force  the  world 
has  ever  known.  You  have  been  fortunate.  In 
more  than  seventy  years  of  life  I,  who  have  spent 
the  time  in  strange  studies  and  stranger  work, 
have  had  no  privilege  so  great.  You  have  all 
been  kind  to  my  daughter  and  to  me,  and  I 
am  glad  you  are  here  now."  He  paused  for  a 
moment,  seeing  with  introspective  eyes  all  the 
great  events  of  his  life.  Then,  recalling  himself 
from  this  review,  he  turned  to  Jenkins  as  a  kin- 
dred spirit,  and  to  a  boyish  officer  who  stood 
near  at  hand. 

"  You  two,"  he  said,  indicating  them  with  his 
hand,  "  may  have  the  honor  of  picking  up  those 
plates." 

There  was  an  instant  of  breathless  astonishment. 

212 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

Jenkins  was  the  first  to  recover,  and  unhesitatingly 
walked  forward.  The  younger  man  drew  back  as 
though  he  had  received  an  order  from  an  insane 
man  consigning  him  to  inglorious  death.  The 
voice  of  the  Admiral  put  an  end  to  the  wait. 

"Go  ahead!"  he  said  quietly.  "Those  plates 
may  weigh  tons;  but  if  Dr.  Roberts  tells  you  to 
pick  them  up,  you  go  and  try  it." 

With  the  absolute  precision  of  training  the  offi- 
cer's heels  came  together  and  his  hand  to  his  cap 
in  quick  salute.  He  strode  to  the  plates,  and  stood 
opposite  Jenkins,  while  the  spectators  craned  for- 
ward, speculating  as  to  what  freak  of  madness  was 
to  be  demonstrated.  Jenkins,  grave  and  unques- 
tioning, looked  across  at  his  companion,  nodded  to 
him,  and  together  they  stooped  and  caught  a 
handhold.  Together  they  gathered  their  muscles 
as  if  for  some  prodigious  exercise  of  strength,  and 
simultaneously  strained  upward. 

To  the  amazement  of  those  within  the  room  the 
great  masses  of  metal  came  up  with  such  ease  that 
they  were  lifted  breast  high  without  perceptible 
effort. 

"  Higher,  higher! "  called  the  old  inventor, 
springing  toward  them  and  gesturing  with  his 
hands.  The  plates  rose  until  they  were  held  with 
finger  tips,  and  breathless  suspense  enchained  the 
spectators. 

"  Now  stand  from  under!  Let  go  of  them!  Let 
15  213 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

go  of  them!  "  yelled  Roberts,  dancing  up  and  down 
in  excitement;  but  the  men  still  held  on  as  if  ren- 
dered powerless  by  astonishment. 

"  Stand  from  under!  "  commanded  the  Admiral; 
and  discipline  again  mastering  them  they  obeyed, 
springing  back  in  the  apprehension  that  the  two 
immense  plates  might  by  some  necromancy  come 
crashing  down  and  disappear  through  the  floor. 
With  something  almost  like  a  sob,  so  great  had 
been  his  mental  strain,  Jenkins  stood  transfixed. 
The  Admiral  gave  a  gasp,  and  with  one  hand 
poised  in  the  air  stood  like  a  statue.  A  hammer 
fell  from  the  hand  of  one  of  the  engineers  standing 
behind,  and  the  man  who  had  been  tightly  clutch- 
ing the  test  tube  opened  his  fingers  and  let  it  crash 
to  the  floor.  In  this  tinkling  sound  of  broken  glass 
on  cement,  another  gave  a  sharp  ejaculation  and 
took  an  involuntary  step  forward. 

They  had  witnessed  the  first  positive  exhibition 
of  true  levitation,  a  solid  body  suspended  in  the 
air  without  support.  They  had  seen  in  times  past 
with  complacency,  knowing  that  it  was  dependent 
upon  optical  illusion,  the  conjurer's  trick,  mystify- 
ing to  the  outward  sense  but  readily  explainable  in 
the  light  of  investigation;  but  here  before  them, 
beyond  the  range  of  charlatanry,  in  perversion  of 
all  known  physical  laws,  there  hung  motionless  in 
the  air,  dependent  upon  itself  for  its  flotation,  a 
great  mass  of  metal  that  but  a  short  time  before 

214 


THE     GREAT     DISCOVERY 

would  have  been  beyond  the  power  of  their  com- 
bined strength  to  lift. 

And  standing  placidly  beneath  it,  enjoying  their 
surprise  and  supremely  triumphant,  stood  a  quiet 
little  old  man  smiling  up  at  his  daughter,  whose 
hand  he  was  holding. 


CHAPTER    IV 

AN    INVINCIBLE   ARM 

HE  officers,  still  doubting  their  senses, 
stood  before  this  uncanny  manifes- 
tation like  men  in  a  world  of  un- 
reality. From  without,  for  some 
unaccountable  reason,  the  varied  clamor  of  in- 
dustry had  subsided  to  silence,  and  the  soldiers' 
song  was  finished.  Even  the  yellow  light  of 
the  afternoon  which  filtered  through  the  win- 
dow panes  appeared  strange,  spectral,  and  un- 
earthly. In  the  shadow  of  that  massive  thing 
which  hovered  above  them,  Nature  seemed  bent 
on  the  revocation  of  her  laws,  and  for  an  instant 
their  senses  reeled  in  the  struggle  for  comprehen- 
sion. 

"Old  Bill"  Roberts  broke  the  spell.  He 
reached  up  and  touched  the  tip  of  a  finger  to 
the  mass  and  moved  it  gently  toward  them  with 
no  more  exertion  than  would  be  necessary  to  push 
a  toy  balloon.  There  was  no  levity  in  him  when 
he  addressed  them,  but  rather  the  simple  grandeur 
of  one  who  had  wrested  from  Nature  one  of  her 
greatest  powers,  and  was  now  preparing  to  harness 

216 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

it  for  all  time,  a  slave  to  peace,  progress,  and  the 
welfare  of  his  fellows. 

"  My  friends/*  he  said,  "  by  the  discovery  of  an 
alloy  of  metal  and  metalloids  we  have  created  a 
new  substance,  which  when  an  electrical  current 
of  certain  potentiality  is  passed  through  it  be- 
comes intensely  radioactive;  infinitely  more  so 
than  radium.  Through  these  machines,"  and  here 
he  waved  his  hand  at  the  twin  apparatus  in  the 
rear,  "  my  daughter  and  I  have  produced  electrical 
manifestations  hitherto  unsuspected  and  unknown. 
The  metal  itself,  while  radioactive  to  a  certain  de- 
gree, does  not  become  intensely  so  without  the 
application  of  the  excitant  current."  He  pulled 
the  plate  down  till  it  rested  on  the  floor,  and  stood 
upon  it,  while  they,  still  awed,  waited  for  his  fur- 
ther exposition. 

"  This  morning,  by  an  accidental  contact  which 
lasted  until  the  plate  had  torn  itself  loose  and 
broken  the  current,  I  saw  to  the  full  the  possibili- 
ties it  contained.  The  impact  of  the  emanations, 
or  radioactive  corpuscles,  against  the  sheet  of  in- 
sulation and  tank  at  the  bottom  drove  it  through 
the  floor  and  into  the  ground,  because  the  corpus- 
cles which  flew  off  in  the  other  direction  were 
unimpeded,  free,  and  harmless.  Had  the  excitant 
current  been  maintained,  the  plate  would  have 
hurled  itself  indefinitely  toward  the  center  of  the 
earth." 

217 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

The  officers  gave  a  gasp  of  something  almost 
approaching  incredulity,  with  the  exception  of 
Jenkins,  who  nodded  his  head  and  excitedly 
rubbed  his  hands. 

Roberts  picked  up  a  scrap  at  his  feet  and  held 
it  toward  them.  "  For  years  I  experimented  upon 
and  perfected  this,"  he  said.  "It  is  an  insulation 
which  will  pass  no  current  of  electricity,  and  which 
no  known  heat  can  destroy.  To-day  by  accident 
I  learned  that  it  was  also  an  impervious  screen  to 
radioactive  emanations.  In  the  second  experi- 
ment I  so  charged  the  alloy  in  my  lower  plate  that 
it  merely  offsets  gravitation,  and  put  my  sheet  of 
insular  substance  between;  and  there  we  have  levi- 
tation.  Those  two  plates  are  working  against 
each  other  with  nearly  equal  force,  the  balance 
being  disturbed  only  in  ratio  to  gravitation." 

"The  solution  of  the  flying  machine!"  Jenkins 
shouted  excitedly,  and  Roberts,  appreciating  the 
engineer's  quick  understanding,  smiled  and  re- 
sponded: 

"  Yes,  just  that." 

"  But  what  will  furnish  its  propulsion?  "  asked 
Jenkins,  whose  mind  was  traveling  over  the  pos- 
sibilities of  rapid  flight.  The  others  evinced  their 
interest  by  craning  forward. 

"  It  will  furnish  its  own,"  the  scientist  answered, 
"  because  by  the  use  of  the  apparatus  behind  it  we 
can  excite  its  radioactivity  to  any  degree  that 

218 


AN      INVINCIBLE     ARM 

might  be  safe.  More  plainly,  the  moment  the 
current  excites  and  therefore  increases  the  power 
of  the  lower  plate,  a  lifting  energy  could  be  ex- 
erted which  would  destroy  the  equilibrium  of  levi- 
tation  and  drive  the  plates  into  the  air  with  a  force 
corresponding  to  the  strength  or  character  of 
the  current.  Or,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  upper 
plate  was  similarly  excited,  thus  liberating  its  cor- 
puscles, the  plate  would  be  driven  toward  the 
earth." 

The  Admiral,  who  had  been  slowly  following 
this  dissertation,  seemed  suddenly  to  have  grasped 
its  entire  meaning,  and  thrust  himself  out  from  the 
group  with  both  hands  extended  and  gesticulating 
rapidly.  "  Then  all  you  have  to  do,"  he  said,  "  is 
to  put  on  either  end  of  your  airship  a  freeboard 
made  of  this  metal,  capable  of  excitation  and  insu- 
lated on  its  inner  surface,  and  you  would  thereby 
be  able  to  drive  your  craft  in  either  direction  at 
any  .speed  you  might  wish!  " 

"  That's  it  exactly,"  answered  Roberts  and  Jen- 
kins in  unison.  The  inventor  continued: 

"  I  can  beat  a  freeboard,  however,  because  I 
shall  apply  my  electrical  current  in  such  a  way  as 
to  send  all  the  corpuscles  of  radioactive  matter  in 
any  direction  I  may  choose.  I  could  with  this 
alloy  even  create  magnets  of  unknown  power,  I 
can  build  a  craft  in  sections  where  magnets  and 
radioactive  surfaces  will  alternate." 

219 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

He  was  growing  excited  as  the  magnitude  of 
the  scope  of  his  discovery  dawned  upon  his  imagi- 
nation. Norma  calmed  him  down;  but  the  Ad- 
miral, infected  with  these  visions,  took  up  the 
strain  and  enthusiastically  expatiated  to  his  com- 
panions. To  him  the  skies  were  already  rilled 
with  flying  ships  that  were  to  swoop  down 
over  an  enemy,  drop  terrific  bombs  of  high  ex- 
plosives, and  thus  sweep  the  seas.  But  future 
events,  he  was  to  learn,  cannot  be  predicted  with 
certainty. 

"  Well,  well!  "  he  said  briskly.    "  What  next?  " 

"  Your  engineers  must  assist  me  in  drawing 
plans.  We  shall  want  great  quantities  of  new  ma- 
terial and  electrical  equipment,  and  must  have 
them  soon;  because  when  we  get  well  under  way 
we  should  be  able  to  create  two  or  three  of  these 
radioplanes  each  day." 

The  great  plates  were  locked  in,  and  the  group 
repaired  to  one  of  the  offices,  where  for  hours  the 
inventor  elaborated  his  scheme  of  control,  the 
mechanical  means  of  which  were  to  be  worked  out 
and  drawings  made  by  the  engineers.  And  as  they 
toiled  over  their  plans,  there  spread  from  mouth 
to  mouth  throughout  the  strange  colony  the  story 
of  the  marvelous  conception,  until  even  the  most 
prosaic  workman  found  himself  dreaming  and 
speculating  over  his  task.  Before  dusk  had 
crowded  the  light  from  the  skies,  the  Columbia, 

220 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

under  a  full  head  of  steam,  picked  her  way  out  to 
meet  the  ocean  swells,  and  headed  for  Miami, 
where  she  was  to  send  a  message  to  Washington, 
calling  for  strangely  assorted  supplies  and  notify- 
ing the  anxious  naval  men  that  the  dry  dock  would 
not  be  needed. 

There  where  the  heart  of  the  American  Govern- 
ment beat  was  nothing  but  anxiety  and  suspense. 
Each  succeeding  day's  events  had  made  it  more 
certain  that  Japan  would  force  the  issue  to  war, 
and,  like  an  athlete,  was  stripping  and  training  for 
the  fight.  The  men  who  had  taken  upon  them- 
selves the  tremendous  responsibility  of  intrusting 
the  nation's  defense  to  a  single  discovery,  and 
were  backing  it  with  funds  for  which  they  must 
account  some  day,  saw  the  days  slipping  by,  and 
grimly  realized  that  they  were  irrevocably  bound 
to  the  success  or  failure  on  the  key.  It  was  too 
late  now  to  attempt  other  projects,  and  glory  or 
defeat  hung  suspended  on  the  issue. 

No  reports  had  been  received,  and  no  news  had 
come  from  that  determined  little  army  that  had 
sailed  away  to  the  South.  Hence  it  was  with 
something  of  a  shock  that  the  first  word  received 
was  to  the  effect  that  the  dry  dock  could  not  be 
utilized.  It  seemed  like  the  first  dread  handwrit- 
ing emblazoned  on  the  wall,  foretelling  failure, 
disaster,  disgrace,  and  war,  and  the  President  as 

221 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

he  read  it  quoted  with  inexpressible  sadness, 
"  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel — "  and  his  half  opened  lips 
framed  the  rest. 

Then  followed  the  requisition  for  supplies,  and 
once  again  before  any  detailed  report  had  been 
received  came  another  demand.  The  island  in  the 
solitude  seemed  an  insatiable  monster,  devouring 
national  funds  and  giving  back  nothing  in  return. 
More  days  went  by,  bringing  nothing  save  dis- 
tressing stories  from  the  Orient,  where  a  clash  had 
taken  place  at  Chemulpo  between  Japanese  sailors 
and  American  marines.  This  was  of  such  serious 
nature  that  apologies  were  tendered  the  Japanese 
Embassy,  and  then  from  the  entire  country  burst 
a  storm  of  protest  and  reiterated  criticisms  of  the 
administration,  which  was  contumaciously  accused 
of  showing  the  white  feather.  From  the  western 
coast  came  appeal  on  appeal,  the  whole  Pacific 
seaboard  calling  attention  to  its  unprotected  state 
and  the  imminence  of  its  danger. 

Distressed  and  irate  at  the  dearth  of  informa- 
tion, the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  on  the  point 
of  sending  a  message  to  Brockton  demanding 
news,  when  he  received  from  Miami  the  terse  mes- 
sage that  in  two  nights  more  the  Admiral  would 
report  in  person.  That  he  bore  nothing  but  a  tale 
of  disappointment  was  surmised  from  the  closing 
words  of  the  Admiral,  who  requested  that  all  those 
who  had  been  party  to  the  project  should  assemble 

222 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

secretly  as  before  at  the  White  House  after  night- 
fall. 

Haggard  and  worn,  they  came  together,  read 
the  brief  dispatch,  and  waited.  The  President,  his 
melancholy  face  set  and  grave,  looked  at  them 
from  cavernous  eyes;  but  could  offer  no  consola- 
tion. There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait — sit  and 
wait — for  that  messenger  of  ill  omen  who  was  to 
sound  the  knell  of  hope  and  tell  what  letters  had 
been  combined  to  spell  the  word  "  failure."  In 
hushed  voices  they  discussed  the  situation,  and 
tried  to  evolve  some  project  for  its  alleviation. 

And  then  without  preliminary  announcement 
the  door  swung  open  under  the  hand  of  the  Presi- 
dent's private  secretary,  and  there  stood  framed  in 
it  the  huge  form  of  the  Admiral,  his  hand  at  salute, 
his  eyes  shining  in  triumph,  and  back  of  him  stood 
Norma,  her  father,  and  Jenkins.  Brockton  ad- 
vanced to  the  President's  desk,  and  faced  him  and 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"  I  have  come  to  deliver  my  report  in  person, 
and  with  me  are  those  who  have  given  this  nation 
the  greatest  engine  of  war  that  science  has  ever 
known." 

The  room  was  electrified;  but  the  President 
sprang  to  his  feet  and  threw  up  a  restraining  hand 
commanding  silence. 

"Well?"  he  queried,  inviting  further  words; 
but  Brockton's  place  had  been  taken  by  the  shriv- 

223 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

eled  figure  of  a  diminutive  old  man,  who  put  a 
trembling  hand  out  to  his  friend  and  in  a  voice  of 
affection,  hushed  but  exultant,  exclaimed: 

"Paul,  Paul,  we've  made  good!" 

The  other's  hand  came  out  to  meet  his,  and  the 
only  sound  heard  was  the  President's  fervent, 
"  Thank  God!  Thank  God!  " 

The  gates  of  repression  and  emotion  were  down. 
These  men  had  been  tried  to  the  breaking  point, 
and  now,  when  in  one  moment  their  skies  had 
cleared,  they  gave  way.  They  hugged  each  other, 
repeatedly  shook  hands,  and  in  the  eyes  of  some 
there  were  unrestrained  tears.  They  crowded 
round  the  little  group  from  the  key  and  admon- 
ished each  other  to  silence. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  inventor,  "  we  have 
rendered  warships  useless.  We  need  no  armor! 
Increased  speed  on  the  waters  is  of  no  value  to 
us.  We  have  created  a  machine  that  flies,  not  a 
thing  of  gas,  of  planes,  or  a  kite.  We  cannot  ex- 
plain here'  as  well  as  if  you  were  to  go  with  us  and 
see  it,  and  what  use  we  have  made  of  your  money." 

The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  looked  disappointed. 
His  mind  was  too  intensely  practical  to  jump  to 
happy  conclusions.  "  Can  a  flying  machine  whip 
a  battleship? "  he  asked,  and  would  have  con- 
tinued; but  the  Admiral  brought  his  fist  down  on 
the  desk  with  a  mighty  bang. 

"  This  one  alone  might  do  it!  The  others  we'll 
224 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

have  ready  before  they  are  called  upon  can  whip 
the  world."  He  stopped  as  if  abashed  by  his  own 
enthusiasm  and  lack  of  etiquette,  looked  at  the 
President  and  the  secretary  apologetically,  and 
then  in  a  less  tempestuous  voice  went  on:  "All 
we  ask  is  that  you  come  with  us, — so  no  one  may 
see  you,  of  course, — and  then  you'll  have  no  cause 
for  complaint." 

His  request  was  reasonable;  but  they  were 
curious.  After  brief  discussion  and  arrangement 
they  decided  to  go  in  motor  cars,  which  many  of 
those  present  knew  how  to  drive,  and  within  half 
an  hour  the  entire  party  was  whirling  away 
through  the  side  streets  of  the  city,  out  into  the 
residence  sections,  through  long  avenues  of  trees, 
past  suburban  homes,  and  finally  to  their  desti- 
nation. 

The  night  was  lighted  only  by  the  stars,  which 
failed  to  disclose  that  strange  monster  of  marvel- 
ous metal  and  unprecedented  power,  which  loomed 
up  dimly  before  them  in  the  field.  It  stood  there 
on  the  stubble,  dark  and  inert,  massive  and  without 
grace,  like  some  gigantic  turtle  of  a  prehistoric 
age.  Sentries  halted  them  as  they  approached 
even  as  in  time  of  strife,  and  compelled  them  to 
expose  their  identity.  They  went  aboard  while 
the  Admiral  stood  at  the  door  waiting  for  the 
guard  to  come  within,  the  last  one  explaining  a 
slight  delay  by  saying  he  thought  for  a  moment 

225 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

that  he  had  heard  a  noise  as  of  some  one  creeping 
over  the  field,  but  had  found  nothing. 

"  Sorry  we  can't  illuminate,"  the  inventor  ex- 
plained; "  but  we  shall  a  little  later  after  you  have 
seen  how  it  works." 

Jenkins  threw  a  lever,  and  the  heavy  doors  over 
the  port  came  to  with  a  dull  metallic  clang  and 
were  clasped. 

Within  a  little  hooded  space  forward  a  dim  light 
exposed  great  banks  of  levers,  switches,  and  dials, 
and  by  its  faint  rays  they  found  seats  improvised 
for  the  occasion.  Roberts  threw  out  a  hand,  and 
the  hum  of  great  dynamos  told  that  machinery  had 
been  set  in  motion.  Back  of  them,  in  another 
apartment  so  closely  screened  that  no  streak  of 
light  might  expose  their  presence  to  the  outside 
world,  they  saw  Jenkins  and  a  junior  engineer 
watching  the  play  of  the  wheels.  Norma  took  her 
place  beside  her  father.  They  felt  vibrant  shocks 
as  the  great  airship  throbbed  and  quivered,  and 
then,  save  for  the  song  of  the  machinery,  all 
was  serenely  quiet  and  motionless.  There  was  no 
sensation  whatever,  and  they  began  vaguely  to 
wonder  when  the  flight  was  to  take  place,  if  that 
was  the  intention  of  their  hosts.  The  voice  of  the 
Admiral,  pent  with  elation,  called: 

"  Mr.  President  and  gentlemen,  if  you  will  all 
lean  over  back  of  you  and  look  down,  you  may  see 
something." 

226 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

They  obeyed  with  a  promptness  that  suggested 
some  nerve  strain,  and  saw  that  they  had  been 
seated  over  broad  glass  plates  of  great  thickness, 
while  far  below  was  an  unanticipated  picture. 
They  had  left  the  earth  with  that  first  preliminary 
jar,  and  now  saw  on  its  surface,  pricked  out  by  the 
lights,  the  streets  of  the  national  capital.  They 
were  already  a  mile  above  it  and  rapidly  gaining 
higher  altitudes,  the  horizon  where  other  lights 
shone  in  the  far  distance  expanding  saucer  like 
while  they  gazed.  The  sea,  with  here  and  there 
a  slow  moving  ship,  came  before  their  vision,  and 
a  little  dotting  of  fire  exposed  a  railway  train 
crawling  along  on  its  journey.  It  was  as  if  the 
earth  had  fallen  away  into  space  and  they  alone 
were  in  a  position  of  security  and  solidity. 

"  We  shall  require  four  hours  of  your  time  at 
least,"  the  Admiral  called,  and  with  starts  of  sur- 
prise they  looked  to  where  he  stood  outlined 
against  the  light  of  the  hoods,  finding  it  hard  to 
realize  that  they  were  not  addressed  by  a  being  of 
another  world.  The  officer  leaned  over  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  added,  "  I  am  going  to 
give  you  our  preliminary  report,  which  will  save 
writing  it." 

Sessions  made  no  reply,  but  turned  to  his  inter- 
rupted scrutiny  of  the  panorama  on  which  the 
others  were  intent  once  more. 

They  were  being  lifted  higher  and  higher,  and 
227 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

in  this  recession  of  the  earth,  its  lights,  which  only 
a  few  moments  before  had  been  far  apart,  now 
appeared  as  spangles  on  a  vast  field  of  black. 
Above  them  through  a  transparency  in  the  roof  the 
stars  in  the  clarity  of  the  rarefied  atmosphere 
gleamed  brighter,  throwing  outward  into  the  pall 
long  scintillating  arrows  of  fire.  The  strange  crea- 
tion of  an  abnormal  old  man  and  his  daughter,  the 
Magic  Carpet  of  fable  realized,  swept  upward  into 
the  dome  of  the  sky,  veering  outward  over  the 
silent  reaches  of  the  ocean,  and  then,  like  a  great 
auk  in  homing  flight,  swung  off  in  a  wide  tangent 
toward  the  southwestern  void,  carrying  them  at 
a  speed  which  they  could  not  reckon.  Below  was 
nothing  more  to  claim  their  attention;  so,  silent 
and  spellbound,  they  turned  to  discover  what  they 
might  within  this  shell  of  mystery. 

Forward,  where  the  hood  was  glowing  dimly, 
they  saw  the  inventor  standing  calmly  attentive  to 
his  task  and  scanning  the  faces  of  indicators  before 
him,  some  of  which  they  conceived  must  tell  of 
altitudes,  direction,  or  forces  under  subjection.  In 
the  glare  immediately  before  him,  bringing  out  his 
face  in  Rembrandtesque  relief,  he  seemed  a  patri- 
arch whose  superior  knowledge  had  elevated  him 
above  the  common  paths  of  men  and  placed  him 
on  such  an  exalted  plane  of  intelligence  that  he 
was  beyond  a  standard  of  comparison. 

The  consciousness  that  they  were  far  above  the 
228 


AN     INVINCIBLE     ARM 

traveled  paths  of  all  time  lost  its  terrifying  sense 
of  strangeness  and  uncertainty,  and  they  learned 
to  trust  this  structure  of  metal  whose  great  enliv- 
ened masses,  entrailed  with  machinery,  was  hurt- 
ling with  them  through  the  night.  The  noise 
within  was  not  sufficient  to  prevent  easy  conversa- 
tion; but  they  sat  as  men  stricken  dumb,  being 
carried  away  into  captivity  by  some  dread  magi- 
cian of  more  singular  power  than  was  ever  por- 
trayed in  Persian  tales. 

"Stand  clear  of  the  shutters,  gentlemen!"  the 
scientist  called,  turning  his  face  in  their  direction, 
and  they  leaned  forward  just  as  Norma  pressed  a 
button.  A  sharp  clashing  noise  smote  their  ears, 
and  when  next  they  looked  at  the  ports  they  were 
shut  off  by  metallic  slides.  Again  the  girl  touched 
a  button,  and  instantly  the  interior  of  the  radio- 
plane  was  flooded  with  silvery  light.  It  was  a 
disappointment,  for  sight  gave  no  elucidation  of 
the  secret. 

A  low  roof  of  unpainted  metal  arched  above 
them.  In  one  end  were  ordinary  electrical  dyna- 
mos, a  motor,  and  a  polished  electrical  apparatus 
which  they  could  not  understand,  and  beyond  this, 
outside  the  hoods,  there  was  nothing  whatever; 
only  the  signs  of  hurried  work,  rough,  unpainted, 
and  unpaneled.  Rude  benches,  evidently  placed 
for  this  occasion  only,  comprised  all  the  trappings 
and  furnishings  of  this  monster  that  was  the  van- 
16  229 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

guard  of  modern  transportation,  and  in  whose 
keeping  rested  the  nation's  strength.  They  had 
expected  intricacies  of  construction;  but  before 
them  was  simplicity.  They  had  pictured  strange 
manifestations  -of  electrical  science;  but  only  a 
compact  mass  of  brass  rods  and  gleaming  tubes 
was  visible.  The  Admiral  read  their  unworded 
curiosity. 

"  I  can't  explain  it  quite,"  he  said.  "  Doctor 
Roberts  will  tell  you  all  about  it  pretty  soon,  when 
he  can  get  away  from  piloting  the  ship.  Look  out 
for  the  shutters  again.  Norma  is  going  to  open 
them  and  shut  off  the  lights.  We  are  at  our  jour- 
ney's end." 

A  clash,  a  flash,  and  again  they  were  in  dark- 
ness, and  with  one  accord  they  turned  to  the  re- 
opened ports. 

Beneath  them  now  glittered  the  arc  lights  of  the 
plant  on  the  lonely  island  which  they  had  peopled. 
The  great  blast  furnace  was  spouting  toward  them 
showers  of  glowing  sparks  and  sheets  of  writhing 
flame,  and  before  it,  dwarfed  by  height  into 
squatty  gnomes,  were  those  who  incessantly  fed  it. 
The  windows  of  the  machine  shops  were  limned  in 
squares  of  white,  and  out  to  one  side,  throwing  its 
searchlight  to  and  fro,  there  steamed  a  gunboat, 
while  afar  on  the  other  boundary  of  the  key  its 
sister  ship  kept  equally  vigilant  patrol.  Industry 
was  spread  before  them — industry  betokening  that 

230 


AN      INVINCIBLE     ARM 

night  and  day  were  being  devoted  to  the  country's 
need;  telling  through  the  hum  of  wheels  and  the 
roaring  of  the  blast  that  the  eagle  from  his  lone 
aerie  was  sharpening  his  talons  for  the  impending 
struggle,  and  preparing  for  a  resistless  flight  into 
the  red  sun  of  war. 

Dumfounded  and  unable  to  comprehend  that  in 
so  short  a  time  they  had  been  transported  a  dis- 
tance which  by  all  known  methods  would  have 
taken  a  couple  of  days  to  traverse,  they  stared  at 
the  scene  opening  to  their  view,  and  while  this 
bewilderment  continued  the  radioplane  began  a 
rapid  descent  in  wide,  sweeping  circles,  daintily 
picked  out  an  open  spot  immediately  in  front  of 
the  plant,  and  gently  came  to  rest. 


CHAPTER   V 

TO    MEET   THE   ENEMY 

GREAT  ribbon  of  light  from  the 
watchful  Columbia  perforated  the 
night,  and  as  they  emerged  from 
the  flying  monster  they  discovered 
in  this  flaming  pathway  of  white  a  line  of  shells 
similar  to  that  which  had  conveyed  them  to  the 
island.  From  the  one  nearest  came  the  steady, 
resounding  beat  of  hammers  and  the  voices  of 
men  who  were  equipping  it  within,  preparatory  to 
transforming  the  dead,  inactive  mass  of  metal 
into  a  thing  of  ebullient  life  and  incredible  ac- 
tivity. 

"  Completing  them  at  the  rate  of  two  a  day 
now,  gentlemen,"  informed  Brockton,  as  he  led 
the  party  toward  the  machine  shop,  which  was 
the  nearest  building.  And  this  they  were  to  learn 
was  the  story  of  the  camp:  Accomplishment,  ac- 
complishment— everything  sacrificed  to  accom- 
plishment! There  was  no  recess  from  industry 
when  they  entered  the  shedlike  building,  and  go 
where  they  would  they  saw  nothing  but  men 
working  like  mad,  who  merely  looked  up  from 

232 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

their  occupations,  saluted,  and  then  resumed  their 
tasks  as  though  the  President  of  the  United 
States  and  his  most  eminent  advisers  were  not  of 
sufficient  importance  to  excuse  delay.  Here  was 
a  little  army  of  men,  expert  in  their  several  lines, 
comprehending  the  necessity  for  haste,  and  im- 
bued with  only  one  idea:  That  their  efforts  were 
for  their  country.  Soldiers  were  they  who  in 
other  times  would  have  shut  their  jaws  and 
grimly  stormed  through  shot  and  shell;  but  were 
now  doing  no  less  valiant  acts  when  with  every 
turn  of  a  wheel  or  every  blow  of  a  hammer  they 
threw  mind,  muscle,  and  heart  into  the  uprearing 
of  the  nation's  defense. 

The  President  in  a  reverie  found  himself  con- 
templating them.  Here,  he  thought,  was  the 
personification  of  that  anomaly  the  American 
working  man:  ofttimes  turbulent,  frequently  dis- 
satisfied, sometimes  waging  warfare  with  em- 
ployer and  capital  and  cursing  political  parties; 
but  when  country  and  home  were  endangered, 
courageous  as  a  lion  guarding  whelps,  reckless  of 
life,  and  unheeding  wounds,  plunging  to  the  front 
in  a  frenzy,  and  asking  no  reward  save  the  satis- 
faction of  seizing  the  invader  by  the  throat  and 
throttling  him  to  the  death.  "  God  save  the  enemy 
who  underestimates  the  temper  and  patriotism  of 
the  American  workman!"  he  muttered  as  he  re- 
turned to  the  long  motionless  line  of  radioplanes. 

233 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

The  ray  of  light,  broad,  steady,  and  clear,  was 
still  there,  and  as  the  visitors  entered  its  borders 
the  quick,  sharp  blast  of  a  whistle  in  the  rear,  as 
if  by  preconcerted  signal,  caused  every  wheel  to 
come  to  an  abrupt  stop.  From  the  buildings  and 
quarters  men  came  running  to  the  scene  and  sur- 
rounded the  guests,  who  were  grouped  together 
in  the  fan  of  white  and  immediately  in  front  of 
the  monster  which  had  given  them  passage.  That 
they  were  not  to  depart  without  some  further 
attention  was  obvious.  "  Old  Bill "  Roberts 
made  the  meaning  of  the  call  plain  when  he  ad- 
dressed his  friend  in  the  old  term  of  intimacy: 

"  Paul,  we  have  left  to  you  the  honor  of  chris- 
tening the  first  radioplane  ever  built.  She  isn't 
named  yet.  The  boys  here  wanted  to  call  her  the 
Roberts;  but  I  forbade  them.  I  guess  you  know 
who  I  wanted  to  call  her  after,"  he  said,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  President's  arm  and  looking  up  into 
his  face;  "but  then  I  wasn't  sure  you  would  like 
that,  so  we  have  compromised  by  leaving  it  to 
you." 

The  President  had  in  his  hand  a  piece  of  car- 
penter's chalk  which  he  had  idly  picked  up  from 
one  of  the  floors  he  had  traversed.  He  stood 
turning  it  over  between  his  long  rough  fingers 
which  bore  evidences  of  hard  physical  labor  in 
early  youth,  and  looked  affectionately  down  into 
the  inventor's  eyes.  He  turned  from  him  and 

234 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

looked  at  those  around  him.  In  the  edges  of  the 
light  and  stretching  back  into  the  darkness  be- 
hind he  could  discern  the  faces  of  the  workmen, 
the  reflection  giving  them  a  singularly  pallid  look 
and  making  them  seem  like  visages  dismembered, 
their  bodies  being  absorbed  into  the  blackness  of 
the  background.  They  expected  a  speech;  but 
he  felt  a  paucity  of  words  when  he  thought  of 
their  endeavors  and  achievements.  He  started  to 
address  them;  but  choked  with  the  fullness  of  his 
heart.  Without  such  work  as  they  had  given, 
what  would  be  the  condition  of  the  nation  to- 
night? 

"  Men,"  he  said,  using  the  strongest  of  appel- 
lations, "  no  words  of  mine  can  add  to  the  honors 
you  merit,  nor  detract  from  what  you  have  done. 
Duty  well  performed  requires  no  praise;  but  as 
President  of  the  United  States  I  thank  you.  I 
am  the  one  who  is  honored  in  being  privileged  to 
call  you  countrymen." 

He  faltered,  and  in  the  strong  light  upon  him 
they  could  see  the  muscles  of  his  face  twitching 
with  repression.  He  turned  from  them  as  if  to 
hide  his  emotion,  and  took  a  few  steps  which 
brought  him  to  the  side  of  the  radioplane.  His 
long  arm  reached  out,  and  slowly  and  in  silence 
he  chalked  upon  its  metal  side  in  big  white  let- 
ters, N-O-R-M-A. 

The  men  of  the  plant  stood  quietly  until  the 
235 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

significance  of  his  act  dawned  upon  them,  and 
then  burst  into  a  frenzy  of  cheers,  forgot  the 
dignity  of  his  position,  and  crowded  round  him, 
talking  as  man  to  man.  Norma  tried  to 
make  her  protests  heard;  but  they  were  unavail- 
ing. The  men  were  elated,  and  her  father  was 
satisfied. 

With  little  delay  the  party  boarded  the  craft, 
the  President  being  the  last  to  say  good  by.  The 
big  metal  door  was  closed,  and  the  Norma  rose 
into  the  air  for  its  return  journey,  while  the  men 
stood  with  hats  off  and  watched  it  disappear 
before  returning  to  their  work. 

The  radioplane  was  making  its  last  flight  be- 
fore the  war,  because  it  was  deemed  that  all  risk 
of  discovery  should  be  obviated,  even  though 
other  methods  of  transportation  were  compara- 
tively snaillike. 

And  so  the  months  went  on  with  activity  at  the 
key,  placidity  in  the  administration,  and  prepara- 
tions for  an  onslaught  on  Japan.  As  the  work 
of  construction  advanced,  Norma  found  respite 
to  make  occasional  brief  visits  to  Washington, 
where  her  time  was  monopolized  by  Hillier,  who 
did  not  dream  of  his  forthcoming  trip  to  London; 
but  "  Old  Bill  "  Roberts  came  no  more  to  the 
Capital. 

Now  began  that  series  of  orders  which  sub- 
jected the  men  at  the  head  of  the  Government  to 

236 


Slowly  and  in  silence  he  chalked  ...  in  big  white  letters, 
N-O-R-M-A." 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

their  greatest  trial.  Work  was  stopped  on  all 
fortifications,  beginning  with  those  in  the  Philip- 
pines. It  was  accepted  by  the  public  as  a  foolish 
curtailment  of  expense.  Before  this  had  ceased  to 
rankle  in  the  public  mind  construction  ceased  in 
nearly  all  the  navy  yards;  but  the  clamor  then 
arose  to  such  a  pitch  that  outwardly  it  was  re- 
sumed, being  done  for  appearance  sake  only  and 
to  prevent  a  revolution. 

So  dangerous  was  the  pitch  of  indignation  that 
some  of  the  President's  advisers  quailed  before 
the  show  of  wrath,  and  feared  that  an  army  of 
Americans  might  march  on  Washington.  They 
besought  the  President  to  alter  his  plans  and 
make  broadcast  announcement  of  the  state  of 
defense;  but  he,  his  Americanism  exceeded  only 
by  his  humanitarianism,  stood  steadfast.  His 
answer  was  characteristic: 

"  If  our  secret  becomes  known,  there  will  be  no 
war,  and  war  is  a  necessity  for  our  purpose.  In 
our  hands  has  been  given  by  a  miracle  the  most 
deadly  engine  ever  conceived,  and  we  should  be 
delinquent  in  our  duty  if  we  failed  to  use  it  as  a 
means  for  controlling  and  thereby  ending  wars  for 
all  time.  Let  us  bear  with  fortitude  whatever  re- 
proaches may  be  heaped  upon  us,  for  we  are  the 
instruments  of  God,  and  the  trial  will  last  only  a 
little  longer.  Let  no  man  speak! " 

His  eyes  flamed  with  inspiration,  and,  like  a 
237 


THE     VANISHING     FL-EETS 

prophet  of  old,  he  led  his  followers  in  his  own 
footsteps.  In  those  trying  times  he  was  very  near 
to  the  God  in  whom  he  believed,  and  only  the 
walls  of  his  room  knew  how  often  he  appealed 
for  light  and  guidance,  trembling  in  spiritual 
agony,  and,  like  the  martyrs  of  all  ages,  crucified 
by  his  fellows. 

Events  began  to  move  with  lightning  like 
rapidity  as  May  approached.  Secret  orders  had 
been  given  to  all  the  principal  ships  in  Pacific 
waters  to  withdraw  into  neutral  harbors,  it  being 
the  wish  of  the  men  who  were  playing  the  stern 
game  that  all  possible  loss  of  life  through  acci- 
dental meetings  might  be  obviated.  Pacific  com- 
merce withdrew  from  the  western  seas,  believing 
itself  unprotected  and  the  administration  mad. 
From  all  sources  of  information  came  the  certain 
reports  that  Japan  was  about  to  attack.  Her 
communications  became  daily  more  insolent;  but 
were  invariably  treated  with  suave  contempt. 
And  then  came  a  day  which  brought  the  most 
portentous  news. 

The  first  was  a  message  from  the  key  that  Doc- 
tor Roberts  had  broken  down.  It  was  from 
Brockton,  who  made  a  pitiful  appeal  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  to  find  Norma  and  either  give 
permission  for  her  to  be  brought  back  by  a  radio- 
plane,  or  to  have  her  sent  at  once  by  special  train 
to  Miami,  inasmuch  as  she,  being  the  sole  sharer 

238 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

of  her  father's  secret,  was  now  the  only  one  who 
could  be  depended  upon  for  the  metamorphosis 
of  the  plates.  The  message  added  that  the  in- 
ventor was  not  in  a  serious  condition,  but  that 
overwork,  overstudy,  and  overstrain  had  so  taken 
toll  that  the  surgeons  declared  he  was  coming 
down  with  brain  fever  and  that  his  very  life  de- 
pended on  his  taking  absolute  rest. 

To  hazard  another  trip  of  a  radioplane  was  out 
of  the  question,  because  the  administration  was 
aware  that  spies  were  still  in  the  Capital.  The 
President  himself  sent  messengers  to  find  the  girl 
on  whom  so  much  depended,  only  to  learn  at  a 
late  hour  that  she  had  not  yet  reached  Washing- 
ton, but  was  expected  to  arrive  that  night.  He 
preferred  to  communicate  his  tidings  to  her  in 
person,  and  therefore  left  word  that  she  should 
call  at  the  White  House  the  following  morning. 
In  the  meantime  advance  preparations  were  made 
for  her  conveyance  to  the  island,  together  with 
the  grim  old  fighting  Admiral,  Bevins,  who  was 
now  to  assume  command  of  the  aerial  forces  of 
America,  and  those  officers  who  from  time  to  time 
had  been  called  home  from  various  ships. 

And  then,  when  night  fell  and  the  President's 
cup  seemed  full,  came  the  swift  and  unexpected 
announcement  that  the  Japanese  had  fallen  upon 
the  Philippines.  War  was  on,  and  the  long  ex- 
pected gauntlet  lay  in  the  lists,  while  the  nation 

239 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

heaved  and  rocked  in  turmoil,  quivered  with  in- 
sult, and  cried  aloud  for  vengeance. 

When  Norma  appeared  at  the  White  House 
she  was  told  of  her  father's  condition  by  the 
President  himself,  who  was  plainly  harassed  to  the 
limit  by  anxiety. 

"You  can  go  at  once,"  he  said;  "but  what 
then?  Are  there  any  who  can  work  the  radio- 
planes?" 

'  Yes,  by  nightly  flights  we  have  trained  crews 
for  all  and  more  than  we  have  built." 

"  But  there  should  be  some  expert  guiding 
mind  who  knows  the  secret  of  the  craft." 

"  Father  had  intended  to  accompany  them  and 
himself  direct  the  leading  radioplane  in  case  of 
attack." 

The  President  threw  up  his  hand  in  a  gesture 
of  hopelessness.  The  time  for  attack  was  fast  ap- 
proaching, and  could  not  be  postponed  on  ac- 
count of  the  inventor's  illness.  Norma,  who  had 
been  standing  beside  a  window,  confronted  the 
worried  head  of  the  nation. 

"  You  forget,"  she  said,  "  that  I  have  youth, 
strength,  will,  and  knowledge.  Neither  my 
father's  nor  my  country's  cause  shall  suffer." 

He  walked  across  the  room,  towering  above 
her  in  ungainly  strength,  took  both  her  hands  in 
his,  and  looked  deeply  into  her  eyes.  "  You 

mean " 

240 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

"  That  if  my  father  is  too  ill  to  go,  I  myself  will 
fight  the  Japanese.  I  myself  will  give  what  ex- 
pert advice  is  needed,  and  will  demonstrate  to  the 
others  what  must  be  done  in  battle."  Inflamed 
by  the  thought  of  what  was  dependent  upon  her, 
pride  in  her  father,  and  Americanism,  she  was 
ready  to  accept  the  responsibility,  even  though 
it  might  cost  her  life. 

They  stood  in  silence,  holding  each  other's 
hands.  He  stooped  over  her,  his  sad  eyes  filled 
with  an  admiration  which  was  akin  to  veneration, 
and  kissed  her. 

"Joan  of  Arc!  Joan  of  Arc!"  he  whispered, 
and  said  no  more. 

She  had  been  told  that  a  train  awaited.  To- 
gether they  walked  to  the  door  of  the  President's 
study  through  the  halls,  and  to  the  outer  portal. 
Unheeding  those  who  were  near,  he  caught  her 
hand  and  held  it  to  his  breast,  looking  once  more 
into  her  eyes. 

"God  bless  and  keep  you,  my  child!"  he  said, 
and  abruptly  turned  back  to  his  seclusion,  his 
head  dropped  forward  between  his  massive  shoul- 
ders and  his  arms  swinging  loosely  at  his  sides. 

The  day  was  not  yet  done,  and  before  the  next 
had  dawned  came  the  announcement  that  the 
Hawaiian  islands  had  also  been  surrendered  to  the 
foe.  The  coterie  of  men  within  the  secret  held 
their  meeting  and  congratulated  each  other  that 

241 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

orders  had  been  obeyed,  no  defense  made,  and 
loss  of  life  obviated.  But  the  public  must  be 
pacified.  The  swift  convening  of  Congress,  its 
authorization  of  the  administration  to  act,  and  the 
appeasing  notice  to  the  public  that  a  well  defined 
policy  was  being  pursued,  followed  one  after  the 
other,  but  still  were  not  understood. 

Night  and  day  now  the  President  and  his  asso- 
ciates toiled  and  planned.  Report  after  report 
came  to  them,  until  they  knew  that  the  hour  to 
act  had  come.  The  spell  of  seeming  lethargy  was 
at  an  end,  and  with  unprecedented  swiftness  the 
cordon  was  thrown  round  the  nation,  its  ports 
closed,  and  its  communication  shut  off  save 
through  channels  of  the  secret  service,  which  was 
intensely  active. 

Time  was  computed  to  the  minute,  and  when 
the  fleet  of  conquest  sailed  from  Japan  the  very 
latitude  and  longitude  of  the  point  where  it  was 
to  be  met  were  communicated  to  the  headquar- 
ters in  Florida,  where  had  been  renewed  energy. 

Hence  it  was  that,  as  darkness  once  more  man- 
tled that  isolated  spot,  a  strange  scene  was  wit- 
nessed. It  was  the  departure  of  that  invincible 
squadron  of  the  air  for  the  scene  of  battle.  Night 
after  night  they  had  maneuvered,  till  those  who 
manned  them  were  masters  of  their  craft  and  of 
the  new  form  of  signals  which  were  to  be  used  in 
case  of  emergency.  Every  detail  was  complete, 

242 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

every  possible  precaution  was  taken  to  avert  ac- 
cident. 

And  what  a  difference  there  was  between  this 
fleet  and  those  to  which  the  men  aboard  were 
accustomed!  On  those  battleships  of  the  seas 
were  magnificent  forces  of  men  trained  to  fight, 
which  were  numbered  by  thousands;  but  here 
each  crew  consisted  of  a  bare  half-dozen.  In  the 
hulls  of  those  vessels  of  the  sea  strove  a  small 
army,  watching  over  and  driving  huge  engines, 
and  supplying  them  with  steam;  here  were  only 
one  man  and  an  assistant  standing  before  levers, 
switches,  and  buttons,  which  did  their  work  in- 
stantaneously and  with  no  noise.  In  those  de- 
stroyers of  the  waters  throbbed  mighty  engines 
considered  the  modern  triumph  of  speed;  here 
was  a  craft  that  by  a  finger's  pressure  could 
almost  run  abreast  the  sun.  Those  ships  bristled 
with  mighty  guns;  here  were  no  frowning  muzzles 
or  unwieldy  turrets.  Science  was  bringing  an  end 
to  brute  force,  and  the  last  battle  against  barbar- 
ism was  at  hand. 

For  the  first  time  since  its  birth,  the  great  plant 
was  silent  and  idle,  and  the  men  who  had  created 
it  and  by  its  means  built  this  new  fleet  of  the  air 
were  at  rest.  They  had  done  all  they  could, 
and  now  gathered  silently  round  the  radioplanes, 
which  stood  in  orderly  array  with  portlike  doors 
yawning  wide  to  receive  their  crews.  "  Fight- 

243 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ing  "  Bevins  stood  by  his  flagcraft,  the  Norma, 
and  looked  at  the  force  under  his  command.  Cap- 
tains who  had  handled  hundreds  of  men  and 
driven  their  great  floating  crafts  of  steel,  and  en- 
gineers who  had  learned  new  callings  waited  at- 
tentively for  his  last  instructions. 

The  battle  scarred  veteran  addressed  them  in 
a  voice  that  needed  no  high  pitch  to  be  audible 
to  all  his  hearers.  "  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I 
have  nothing  more  to  say  to  you.  You  are  going 
out  to  fight  what  will  probably  be  the  last  great 
battle  in  history.  You  are  active  participants  in 
the  final  chapter  of  international  war.  The  time 
is  approaching  when  our  profession  will  be  use- 
less, and  I  for  one  shall  gladly  turn  to  ways  of 
peace." 

Norma,  who  had  left  the  bedside  of  the  sleep- 
ing inventor,  joined  the  officers,  and  Bevins 
stopped  and  saluted  her. 

"  With  us,"  he  continued,  "  is  a  girl  who  has 
laid  all  her  talents  on  the  altar  of  country,  and  is 
now  prepared  to  jeopardize  her  life  for  victory. 
We  can  do  no  less.  It  may  be  that  some  of  us 
will  not  return, — the  hazards  of  war  can  never  be 
foreseen.  You  have  been  put  in  a  strange  posi- 
tion, and  are  even  robbed  of  the  sailor's  right  to 
send  a  last  message  to  your  homes;  but  that  too 
has  been  for  the  country's  good.  To  my  personal 
knowledge  you  have  all  passed  your  lives  in  try- 

244 


TO     MEET     THE     ENEMY 

ing  to  do  what  was  right,  and  have  given  the  best 
that  was  in  you  to  the  flag.  You  will  do  no  less 
now." 

In  the  glare  of  the  arc  lights  he  took  one  last 
look  at  his  comrades  in  arms,  and  then,  as  if  once 
more  at  sea,  loudly  ordered,  "Board  ship,  all!" 

He  uncovered  and  stood  aside  in  an  attitude 
of  the  greatest  respect  while  Norma  passed  and 
entered  the  flagship  bearing  her  name.  With 
steady  precision  the  other  officers  saluted,  took 
possession  of  their  radioplanes,  and  as  the  doors 
clanged  shut  behind  them  a  mighty  cheer  burst 
from  those  outside.  Before  it  had  subsided  the 
dynamos  in  the  strange  collection  were  humming 
and  droning  with  unleashed  energy,  and  the  un- 
shuttered ports  stared  out  into  the  gloom  like 
eyes  of  fire  suddenly  opened  from  sleep. 

From  the  Norma  there  shot  up  into  the  sky 
swiftly  alternating  streaks  of  red,  white,  and  blue, 
the  night  signal  asking  if  all  was  ready.  From  the 
other  monsters  came  flashing  answers  of  acquies- 
cence. There  was  an  instant's  pause.  The  flag- 
ship gave  a  slight  upward  shock  and  lifted  slowly 
into  the  air.  Immediately  behind  in  stately  up- 
ward sweep  followed  another  radioplane,  and  in 
quick  succession,  like  gigantic  birds  of  the  night, 
they  took  flight  in  a  great  swinging  circle  until 
they  reached  a  common  altitude.  The  cheer  be- 
low had  died  away,  and  all  was  still. 
17  245 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Then,  as  if  answering  the  call  of  a  baton  swung 
by  a  god,  the  palpitant  air  was  riven  by  a  mighty 
chorus  from  beneath.  Mounting  upward  there 
penetrated  to  them,  quivering  with  terrific  fervor, 
the  cry  of  invincibility  voiced  in  the  majestic 
words  of  that  deathless  song  of  battle: 

Mine  eyes  have  seen  the  glory  of  the  coming  of  the  Lord  ; 

He  is  trampling  out  the  vintage  where  his  grapes  of  wrath  are 

stored : 

He  hath  loosed  the  fateful  lightning  of  his  terrible  swift  sword  ; 
His  truth  is  marching  on. 

Out  to  the  west,  over  sleeping  cities  and  homes, 
across  mountain  and  plain,  chasing  the  long  set 
sun,  they  went  to  meet  the  fleet  of  an  enemy 
which  was  steadily  sailing  to  its  doom.  The 
sword  of  a  nation's  vengeance  was  cleaving  the 
night  skies  in  its  deliverance  of  an  overwhelm- 
ing blow. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   BATTLE 

T  was  in  the  long  gray  dawn  of  the 
summer  morning,  and  the  wide 
reaching  ocean,  slate  colored  in  the 
early  light,  seemed  asleep  in  its 
quietude  save  where  it  was  disturbed  by  moving 
prows.  Steaming  across  its  bosom  in  fancied 
security,  knowing  that  not  on  Pacific  waters  were 
there  enemies  capable  of  staying  its  progress,  and 
insolently  careless  in  superb  strength,  went  the 
Japanese  fleet.  The  huge  flagship,  the  Ito,  forced 
her  way  in  advance,  the  apex  of  a  great  and  for- 
midable triangle,  whose  sides  were  formed  by 
other  battleships  of  scarcely  less  tonnage,  graceful 
cruisers,  and  swift  moving  destroyers,  while  bring- 
ing up  the  far  rear  were  the  colliers  in  whose  hulls 
were  carried  fuel  for  the  great  armada. 

Here  was  the  Kashima  which  could  drive  her 
seventeen  thousand  tons  of  steel  through  the 
water  at  nineteen  knots  speed;  the  Katori,  but 
little  smaller  and  almost  as  fast;  the  Asahi,  the 
Mikasa,  the  Asama,  the  Tokiwa,  and  others  which 
were  dear  to  the  heart  and  pride  of  Nippon, — a 

247 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

gallant  navy,  carefully  planned,  well  constructed, 
and  of  invincible  size  and  strength.  No  squadron 
that  breasted  the  waves  might  cause  it  to  hesi- 
tate. 

In  the  stillness  of  the  morning  there  came  a 
sudden,  sharp  exclamation  from  the  man  on  the 
lookout,  an  excited  call  to  the  bridge,  and  the 
•quick  step  of  an  officer  in  answer  to  the  summons. 
Almost  instantly  he  was  followed  by  another,  who 
brought  with  him  a  pair  of  powerful  binoculars, 
through  which  he  gazed  in  the  direction  indicated 
by  the  sailor.  There  in  the  immeasurable  void  of 
the  upper  air,  so  high  above  that  it  floated  in 
the  broader  light,  soared  a  covey  of  gigantic  ob- 
jects unpictured  in  the  lore  of  flight.  Onward  it 
came  until  almost  above,  when  it  stopped  and  ma- 
jestically hovered  over  them,  and  seemed  to  be 
watching  and  waiting  for  some  ray  of  broader 
light.  The  pallid  blue  of  those  far  floating  bod- 
ies rendered  them  almost  indistinguishable,  save 
when  now  and  then  they  swung  broadside  to  in 
deploying,  resumed  their  speed,  and  swept  round 
in  circles. 

Puzzled  and  amazed,  the  officer  handed  the 
glasses  to  his  companion  and  watched  his  face  at- 
tentively, as  if  hoping  to  read  from  its  expression 
some  solution  of  this  mysterious  visitation  from 
the  immense  unclouded  space  above.  The  glasses 
were  lowered,  and  the  two  men  with  the  supersti- 

248 


THE     BATTLE 

tion  of  ages  behind  them  turned  to  each  other 
with  pallid  faces,  fearing  the  supernatural  or 
the  unknown.  Again  they  looked,  and  saw 
that  the  flying  specks  traveled  with  incredible 
rapidity  and  were  apparently  observing  them, 
after  which,  as  they  watched,  they  saw  them 
come  to  an  abrupt  stop.  It  was  enough.  What- 
ever they  were,  their  presence  would  be  made 
known. 

The  officers  sprang  to  the  alarms,  and  in  an 
instant  thunderous  volleys  bellowed  out  across  the 
waters,  awakening  the  other  vessels.  Shrill  pip- 
ings, the  staccato  blare  of  bugles,  and  the  sound 
of  running  feet  told  the  story  of  excitement  and 
that  well  drilled  crews  were  answering  the  call. 
The  hour  was  early  for  the  perfect  use  of  flag 
signals;  so  from  one  warship  to  another  flashed 
the  searchlight  warnings,  and  wireless  operators 
in  their  cabins  ticked  frantic  messages  to  outlying 
members  of  the  fleet  to  close  in  for  action.  Ad- 
mirals and  Captains,  who  had  fought  successfully 
in  other  wars  and  counted  their  service  as  valua- 
ble adjuncts  in  any  engagement,  stood  upon  the 
bridges  or  the  flanks  of  the  great  turrets  and 
stared  spellbound  at  this  apparition  which  had 
come  upon  them  in  the  night.  There  it  was,  a 
silent  fleet  of  the  air,  sinister  and  menacing,  low- 
ering over  them  as  if  waiting  opportunity  or  bid- 
ing its  time  to  strike. 

249 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

A  sudden  evolution  brought  one  of  those  ter- 
rible adversaries  to  the  outer  edge  of  the  aerial 
formation,  and  through  their  glasses  they  saw 
thrown  out  to  the  winds  of  the  morning,  whipping 
and  writhing,  the  flag  of  the  nation  they  had  come 
to  conquer;  the  oldest  banner  in  the  world,  and 
the  one  they  had  been  taught  through  months  of 
consideration  to  despise.  Stars  on  a  field  of  blue, 
fit  emblem  for  warriors  of  the  clouds!  And  then 
ere  the  first  flag  had  straightened  out  its  heavy 
folds,  the  colors  fluttered  from  each  birdlike  craft, 
a  challenge  to  battle  in  which  the  odds  were 
against  them. 

Aloft  in  that  fleet  of  the  air,  where  all  was  quiet, 
there  was  no  sudden  call  of  excitement.  For 
hours  they  had  watched  and  waited  for  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  enemy,  and  when  he  was  sighted 
far  below  in  the  murk  of  the  dawn  each  man  took 
his  post  without  words;  but  the  martial  spirit 
which  sends  men  to  battle  burned  clear  and  high. 
The  supreme  test  was  at  hand,  and  the  wait  and 
preparation  were  at  an  end.  The  issue  was  in  the 
lap  of  the  gods. 

The  Norma  had  been  the  first  to  descry  the  on- 
coming fleet,  and  Fighting  Bevins  with  his  own 
hand  had  signaled  his  followers  to  reduce  speed. 
Now  he  stood  at  the  transparent  ports,  heard  the 
sudden  booming  alarm,  witnessed  the  excitement 
on  the  decks,  and  smiled  with  grim  joy.  By  his 

250 


THE     BATTLE 

side  stood  Norma,  and  not  even  he,  trained  to 
strife  and  accustomed  from  early  manhood  to 
scenes  of  carnage,  was  more  cool  or  determined. 
He  looked  at  her  questioningly,  wondering 
whether  or  no  he  should  read  in  her  eyes  a  sign 
of  regret  or  weakness,  and  turned  from  her  with 
a  glow  of  admiration. 

"  Who  is  going  to  handle  her? "  he  queried, 
glancing  at  the  hood. 

"  I  am,"  she  replied  as  quietly  as  if  answering  a 
query  of  no  moment. 

He  held  out  his  hand  and  shook  hers  warmly. 

From  away  in  the  outer  distance,  where  the 
angle  was  not  too  sharp  to  prevent  its  elevation, 
came  the  sullen  report  of  a  gun,  and  a  shell  flew 
past  at  such  close  range  that  its  screaming  came 
to  them  through  the  thickness  of  their  plate  and 
the  open  upper  ports,  sounding  its  challenge  and 
defiance  above  the  droning  hum  of  the  dynamos. 
The  girl  glanced  apprehensively  upward,  but  the 
Admiral  continued  his  calm  inspection  of  the  Jap- 
anese fleet. 

Again  from  a  vessel  closer  at  hand  came  a 
series  of  short  sharp  reports.  The  radioplane  felt 
a  shivering  impact,  and  careened  slightly  in  an- 
swer to  its  force.  The  Admiral  was  hurled 
against  her  metal  side,  and  one  of  the  engineers 
seized  a  rail  to  prevent  being  thrown  headlong 
against  the  machinery. 

251 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"They're  trying  four-inch  shells  on  us!  are 
they?  "  shouted  Bevins.  "  Well,  we'll  put  an  end 
to  that  right  now!  " 

He  sprang  to  the  signal  box,  and  Norma,  read- 
ing his  intention,  hurried  to  her  post  in  the  hood. 
He  ordered  the  other  craft  to  increase  speed  and 
traverse  circles  till  he  should  notify  them  which 
war  vessels  of  the  fleet  beneath  were  to  be  their 
individual  prey.  Now  the  small  shells  were  fairly 
rending  the  air  around  them.  The  sharp  clang  of 
metal  against  metal  and  quick  explosion  told 
that  hits  were  being  made,  and  through  the  ports 
the  radioplanes  which  suffered  could  be  seen  to 
rock  convulsively  when  struck.  The  air  seemed 
whining  with  death  which  was  clamoring  for  ad- 
mission to  its  prey.  Shot  and  shell  swept  through 
space;  but  higher  and  higher  soared  the  radio- 
planes,  while  the  old  war  dog  studied  the  forma- 
tion of  the  fleet  below. 

"  My  God!  Seventeen  is  hit!  Seventeen  is 
hit!  "screamed  the  lookout,  and  the  Admiral  and 
Norma  stared  through  a  side  port. 

In  long,  weird,  dizzy  circles,  like  a  wounded 
man  striving  to  recover  his  balance,  a  radioplane 
was  dropping  slowly  down  toward  the  waters,  in- 
effectually fighting  to  regain  its  balance.  The 
four-inch  shells  had  done  no  damage;  but  the  far 
outlying  cruiser  had  made  an  accidental  hit  with 
a  heavy  gun.  Zigzagging  here  and  there  in  er- 

252 


THE     BATTLE 

ratic  swoops  the  radioplane  continued  to  plunge. 
From  the  waters  below  came  the  sounds  of  exult- 
ant cheering.  The  enemy  were  gaming  heart. 
They  had  found  what  they  believed  to  be  a  chance 
for  hope  and  an  invulnerable  spot  in  the  Ameri- 
can's armor.  Norma  started  back  to  her  levers; 
but  the  Admiral  called  excitedly: 

"  Look,  look!  Good  boy,  Nineteen!  Good 
boy!" 

Again  she  looked  through  the  port,  and  was 
transfixed  with  the  daring  attempt  of  another 
radioplane.  Nineteen,  with  its  big  white  letters 
blazing  in  the  light,  had  taken  a  swift  downward 
shoot. 

"  It's  Jenkins!  It's  Jenkins!  "  Norma  called  in 
excitement,  knowing  that  the  little  scientist  was 
manning  the  hood  of  that  craft. 

Then  before  she  could  say  more,  Nineteen's  ob- 
ject was  made  plain.  The  great  radioplane  shot 
to  a  lower  altitude  than  that  of  its  crippled  fellow, 
dove  here  and  there  like  a  bat,  caught  a  simul- 
taneous speed,  and  rounding  upward  in  a  deft 
swoop  poised  itself  firmly  beneath  the  lower  plate 
of  Seventeen.  For  an  instant  the  two,  locked 
together  and  overweighted,  slid  slowly  downward 
through  the  air,  and  then  Nineteen  seemed  to 
gather  itself,  came  to  a  stop,  hesitated  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  began  a  steady  upward  movement. 

As  if  divining  its  purpose,  two  other  radioplanes 
253 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

swooped  down  toward  the  stricken  monster  till 
their  sides  touched,  and  then  like  a  group  of  war- 
riors carrying  a  wounded  comrade  from  the  field, 
assisted  the  ascent  into  the  upper  void.  Focusing 
their  fire  on  the  group,  the  Japanese  made  it  a 
target,  and  the  scream  of  shot  and  shell  broke  into 
a  pandemonium  until  the  air  around  was  churned 
as  by  a  demon's  wrath. 

Up — up  they  went  till  they  were  mere  specks 
against  the  dome  of  the  heavens,  where  they  were 
beyond  range  and  in  the  profound  silence  of  soli- 
tude. The  others  of  the  fleet,  led  by  the  Norma, 
hastened  to  soar  toward  them;  but  before  they 
could  get  within  speaking  distance  the  wireless 
brought  to  all  radioplanes  this  message: 

"  Seventeen  was  struck  by  a  ten-inch  shell  di- 
rectly below  her  dynamos.  The  jar  caused  a  tem- 
porary break  which  cut  off  the  current  for  a  short 
time.  This  is  nearly  repaired.  No  damage  of 
consequence  has  been  done,  and  she  will  report 
for  duty  within  two  minutes." 

Bevins  and  Norma  looked  at  each  other  with 
a  great  relief.  "Thank  God  for  that!"  the  Ad- 
miral said,  and  it  was  echoed  by  his  subordinate. 

They  turned  again  to  the  port,  and  as  they  did 
so  they  saw  the  specks  above  disintegrate,  and  in 
a  few  moments  Seventeen,  repaired,  and  again 
capable,  was  in  line  of  battle.  The  cheering  be- 
low ceased;  but  from  the  doomed  battleships  and 

254 


THE     BATTLE 

cruisers  a  continuous  hail  of  ineffectual  shots  were 
fired,  while  the  Admiral  of  the  aerial  fleet,  his 
plans  formed,  was  calmly  sending  orders. 

"  Number  One  will  engage  the  cruiser  on  the 
extreme  right.  Two  will  attack  the  battleship  on 
the  port  bow  of  the  flagship.  Three  will  take  the 
battleship  on  the  extreme  left,"  and  so  on,  ending 
with  the  declaration  that  the  Norma  would  open 
the  engagement  by  striking  the  Ito  at  the  head  of 
the  triangle. 

Fighting  Bevins  turned  away  from  his  signal 
box  when  the  last  confirmation  of  his  instructions 
had  been  received  and  looked  at  the  girl  in  the 
hood.  At  that  high  altitude  the  early  rays  of  the 
sun  were  shivering  the  gloom  of  the  interior 
through  the  glass  ports  in  the  dome.  As  if  in  a 
glory  of  silver  she  stood  before  him,  outwardly 
calm  and  emotionless;  but  in  the  splendid  poise  of 
her  body,  the  expectant  waiting  of  her  hands,  and 
the  steady  scrutiny  of  the  dials  before  her,  she  was 
the  embodiment  of  sufficiency.  Feeling  his  look 
and  waiting  for  his  command,  she  moved  her  head 
till  her  face  was  turned  full  upon  him,  and  in  her 
eyes  shone  the  fire  which  through  all  the  ages 
has  led  valiant  warriors  to  fields  of  victory.  The 
glory  of  youth,  the  inspiration  of  patriotism,  and 
the  determination  of  fearlessness  were  blended  in 
their  light  and  exultantly  waiting  the  battle  call. 

Accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  terrible  intoxica- 
255 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

tion  of  fierce  conflict,  the  gray  old  Admiral  felt 
himself  enthused  by  this  slip  of  a  girl.  He  was  a 
man  making  the  last  fight  of  his  life  with  the  in- 
carnation of  the  Goddess  of  War  at  his  elbow  and 
mutely  cheering  him  on  to  the  charge.  Every 
nerve  within  him  strung  itself  in  tensity,  the 
muscles  of  his  body  seemed  to  contract  until  his 
head  fairly  shrank  between  his  massive  shoulders, 
his  resolute  jaw  set  with  a  snap,  and  his  short  hair 
seemed  to  bristle  as  he  leaped  toward  her,  gave 
way  to  his  excitement  and  fairly  shouted,  "Now! 
Go  to  them!  Quick,  hard,  and  fast!  At  them!" 

He  jumped  back  to  his  point  of  observation, 
and  even  as  he  did  so  the  great  radioplane  shiv- 
ered with  a  surcharge  of  energy,  reeled  drunkenly 
through  every  fiber  for  the  fraction  of  a  second, 
gathered  itself,  and  in  one  terrific  plunge  shot 
downward  at  such  an  awful  rate  of  speed  that  the 
engineers  by  the  dynamos  instinctively  threw 
themselves  to  the  floor,  the  man  on  the  lookout 
seized  the  bars  before  him,  gasping  for  breath, 
and  the  Admiral,  startled,  whirled  toward  the 
figure  in  the  hood,  fearing  that  some  fatal  acci- 
dent had  occurred. 

There,  erect,  triumphant,  and  fierce,  stood  the 
woman  glorified  who  was  striking  the  first  blow 
for  her  country's  honor  and  her  father's  exalta- 
tion. She  was  fairly  hurling  the  machine  through 
space,  her  hands  grasping  the  levers  of  descent 

256 


THE     BATTLE 

and  her  eyes  on  the  periscope  which  portrayed  the 
position  of  their  helpless  victims. 

Bevins,  in  a  fury  of  excitement,  shouted  his  ap- 
proval with  storms  of  oaths,  completely  swept  out 
of  himself  by  the  fierceness  of  the  assault.  "  Good, 
good!"  he  shouted.  "That's  right!  Open  her 
up  wide.  They're  ours!  They're  ours!" 

Outside  the  hissing  air  was  torn  by  a  whirlwind 
of  small  shells  fired  in  a  panic  stricken  attempt  to 
fend  off  this  adversary  which  was  driving  down- 
ward upon  the  Ito.  It  was  their  last  hope  at 
defense.  They  had  tested  their  guns  repeatedly 
at  long  range,  and  proved  them  ineffectual  against 
an  enemy  that  could  travel  with  a  speed  beside 
which  that  of  the  swiftest  bird  of  prey  was  insig- 
nificant. They  had  watched  those  strange  un- 
canny things  lift  themselves  to  a  prodigious  alti- 
tude with  incomparable  ease,  carry  away  and 
rejuvenate  a  wounded  companion  which  had  been 
struck  by  the  merest  chance,  turn  toward  each 
other  as  if  in  communication,  whirl  out  in  long 
lines  betokening  the  perfection  of  control,  had 
waited  for  a  downpour  of  missiles;  and  then,  when 
amazement  at  this  marvelous  demonstration  had 
reached  its  climax,  they  had  witnessed  the  sudden 
swoop  in  their  direction.  Now  in  hopeless  impo- 
tence the  men  on  the  deck  of  the  doomed  Ito  lost 
their  heads  and  ran  frantically  to  and  fro.  Up  to 
the  very  last,  one  or  two  of  the  gun  crews  elevated 

257 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

and  fired — elevated  and  fired — with  methodical 
precision  like  men  in  a  trance  and  actuated  by 
habit  only. 

The  panic  stricken  swallow  vainly  winging  his 
way  through  the  air  in  wild  endeavor  to  escape 
the  talons  of  the  darting  hawk  would  have  had 
more  chance  than  they  before  this  onslaught. 
This  gigantic  embodiment  of  doom  was  leaping 
down  upon  them  with  such  terrific  velocity  and  at 
such  an  angle  of  flight  as  to  preclude  all  pos- 
sibility of  defense.  Irresistible,  implacable,  and 
noiseless,  it  was  plunging  for  the  final  thrust.  Its 
very  method  of  attack  was  so  surprising  and  so 
unexpected  that  they  were  awed  with  fear,  help- 
less, benumbed,  despairing,  and  conquered.  They 
were  men  done  to  death  and  suffering  the  agonies 
of  wounds  before  the  blow  had  fallen.  It  was  all 
accomplished  with  such  rapidity  that  not  even  the 
most  terrified  had  time  to  rush  to  the  rails  and 
throw  himself  into  the  sea.  When  the  instant  of 
death  seemed  imminent,  they  were  paralyzed  into 
inaction  and  cowered  together,  waiting  for  the 
shock  of  annihilation. 

And  their  suspense,  although  of  a  different 
nature,  was  scarcely  more  keen  and  heartbreaking 
than  that  of  those  in  the  radioplane  which  was 
hurtling  at  them. 

The  Admiral  was  still  crouching  like  a  man  pre- 
pared for  a  blow,  when  Norma  with  quick  energy 

258 


THE     BATTLE 

tilted  over  another  lever  and  checked  the  descent. 
Those  within  the  shell  felt  their  hearts  come  back 
to  the  normal  and  were  once  more  able  to  breathe 
freely.  It  was  like  the  application  of  a  powerful 
brake  to  a  falling  elevator,  save  that  there  was  no 
abrupt  jar,  no  discordant  sound  of  steel  on  steel, 
and  no  shock  of  friction. 

"Look  out!  Look  out!"  they  heard  her  call. 
"  Hold  fast!  We're  going  to  strike!" 

And  then,  even  as  they  sought  positions  of 
security,  the  great  radioplane  felt  a  sudden,  sharp 
concussion  of  impact  as  the  top  of  a  fighting 
mast  struck  its  bottom  plate,  crumpled  like  a 
match,  and  went  crashing  downward,  a  debris  of 
twisted,  useless  steel.  Even  within  the  chamber 
there  penetrated  to  them  the  terrified  shrieks  and 
despairing  cries  of  the  men  of  Japan. 

Another  quick  smashing  blow  almost  threw 
those  at  the  dynamos  from  their  feet,  more  cries 
were  heard  without,  and  then,  for  the  small  part 
of  a  second  there  was  silence  and  immobility. 
Even  the  storm  of  fire  from  the  other  ships  had 
ceased. 

Norma  alone  seemed  endowed  with  power  of 
movement,  and  sprang  quickly  from  lever  to  lever 
and  switch  to  switch,  issuing  her  battle  cry. 
"The  dynamos!  The  dynamos!"  she  called. 
"Full  speed,  and  stand  clear  for  fear  of  accident! 
I've  thrown  the  magnet  currents!  Quick!  all 

259 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

your  power  before  others  can  train  a  gun  on  us! " 
Her  voice  was  sharp  and  decisive,  and  her  words 
snapped  like  lashes,  driving  them  to  action. 
"Steady,  steady!" 

With  almost  the  instantaneousness  of  its  stop, 
the  radioplane  shivered  and  throbbed  with  in- 
creased energy.  The  dynamos  hummed  and 
roared,  the  Norma  quivered  like  a  race  horse 
under  a  cruel  whip,  then  steadied  itself,  seemed 
to  gather  its  forces  together,  gave  one  mighty 
lift,  and  began  to  ascend.  The  frightened  cries 
from  without  subsided  in  stupefaction. 

The  fighting  Admiral  with  clenched  fists  was 
running  the  length  of  the  radioplane,  staring 
through  the  lower  ports,  and  hoarsely  voicing  his 
exultation,  his  eyes  flaming  with  the  joy  of  vic- 
tory. 

Out  on  the  sluggish  waves  which  had  now 
changed  to  a  coldly  gleaming  gray  the  other  ves- 
sels of  the  Japanese  fleet  witnessed  the  beginnings 
of  catastrophe.  They  had  seen  this  incredibly 
monstrous  thing  drop  from  the  ether  upon  their 
flagship,  crumple  its  upper  works  like  paper,  at- 
tach itself  to  the  turrets,  and  then  with  phenom- 
enal power  actually  lift  from  the  ocean  twenty 
thousand  tons  of  steel, — a  floating  fortress  be- 
lieved but  an  hour  ago  to  be  invincible, — and  bear 
it  away.  Even  as  they  watched  they  saw  this 
strange  god  which  had  grasped  the  pride  of  Japan 

260 


THE     BATTLE 

in  his  clutch  deliberately  shaping  his  flight  higher 
and  higher  into  the  great  void  of  the  heavens  and 
passing  out  of  their  world. 

Of  what  use  were  guns  against  these  strange 
visitants,  whose  only  human  mark  was  the  flag  of 
the  despised  enemy?  In  hopeless  screams  of  ter- 
ror their  sirens  awoke  the  echoes  with  weird, 
despairing  wails,  and  their  engines  under  full 
speed  sent  the  screws  lashing  through  the  water 
in  a  last  desperate  effort  to  escape  by  flight.  And 
while  their  prows  tore  the  waves  the  superstitious 
sailors  took  their  disaster  as  an  omen  of  heavenly 
wrath,  reverted  to  the  religion  of  their  ancestors, 
and  prostrated  themselves  in  an  agony  of  prayer; 
but  every  chance  was  denied  them,  and  even  their 
trust  in  speed  to  evade  seizure  was  ineffectual. 

Even  as  the  Ito,  held  fast  by  the  Norma,  was 
becoming  a  speck  against  the  disk  of  the  morning 
sky,  another  of  those  strange  creatures  made  a 
scarcely  less  abrupt  descent  upon  the  Kashima. 
Stacks  and  masts  went  down  with  a  crash  as  had 
those  others.  The  great  wingless  terror  picked 
her  up  into  the  air  before  her  engines  could  be 
stopped,  and,  with  her  screw  beating  the  atmos- 
phere like  the  fluttering  fins  of  a  fish  captured  by 
a  marauding  eagle,  sailed  off  with  her  into  the 
blue  above. 

Once  more  they  tried  the  effect  of  gunnery, 
when  the  Katori  was  threatened;  but  it  was  futile, 
18  261 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

and,  reading  their  doom,  they  waited  their  turn. 
It  was  not  long  in  coming;  for  now  by  twos  and 
threes  they  were  torn  from  the  ocean  and  lifted 
aloft.  The  colliers  were  the  last  to  succumb,  and 
their  crews,  realizing  that  the  hulls  alone  would 
come  in  contact  with  the  implacable  demons 
above,  ran  screaming  below  decks  to  continue 
their  supplications  to  the  deaf  gods  who  had  de- 
serted them. 

From  the  thick  glass  of  his  port  the  Admiral 
looked  down  upon  his  conquered  foemen  and 
watched  the  precision  with  which  his  orders  were 
being  obeyed.  Each  time  a  victim  was  seized  he 
shouted,  "Three's  done  her  work!"  or  "Good 
boy,  Seven!  You've  got  him!"  and  so  on  enu- 
merating each  success. 

Some  movement  on  the  deck  of  the  Ito  close 
at  hand  arrested  his  attention.  His  brows  came 
together  again  in  a  fierce  scowl.  "  Stand  by  the 
magnet  levers,  Miss  Norma,"  he  commanded, 
"  because  if  these  fellows  below  mean  to  show  the 
least  resistance  whatever,  we'll  drop  'em! " 

She  had  been  standing  serenely  in  her  hood,  her 
head  thrown  back,  reveling  in  the  glories  of  tri- 
umph. When  the  fate  of  the  battle  had  hung 
upon  her  performance,  and  when  her  own  life  was 
threatened,  she  had  thrown  herself  body  and  soul 
into  the  fray,  wide  eyed,  unhesitant,  and  without 
a  tremor;  but  now,  at  the  thought  of  being  the 

262 


THE     BATTLE 

executioner  of  perhaps  a  thousand  men,  her  face 
blanched,  her  limbs  trembled,  and  her  hands  for- 
got their  task  and  clasped  together  in  implora- 
tion.  She  was  the  woman  again,  ready  to  plead 
for  the  lives  of  those  she  had  conquered. 

"  My  God!  You  wouldn't  do  that,  would 
you?  "  she  said. 

The  old  gladiator  of  the  sea  turned  upon  her 
fiercely.  "  Do  it?  Do  it?  I'd  drop  them  to  hell 
as  quick  as  I  would  to  the  bottom  of  the  Pacific 
if  they  show  fight !  "  he  responded.  "  We're  out 
here  to  teach  a  lesson,  and  they  deserve  all  that's 
coming  to  'em!  War  is  no  child's  game,"  he  con- 
cluded grimly,  "  and  the  first  ship  that  wants 
trouble  goes  down  like  a  thunderbolt." 

As  if  to  emphasize  his  remark,  he  sprang  to  the 
signal  box  and  issued  this  sanguinary  order  to 
every  radioplane  in  the  fleet,  while  Norma,  faint 
and  sick  at  heart,  shut  her  teeth  and  with  a  look 
of  inexpressible  pain  turned  back  to  her  levers. 

But  she  was  spared  this  dreadful  work.  The 
Japanese  officers  and  men  had  learned  the  abso- 
lute futility  of  resistance,  and  doubted  the  efficacy 
of  appeal.  Their  one  hope  for  life  now  rested  in 
the  humanity  and  leniency  of  those  who  held  them 
in  thrall. 

It  took  no  long  chain  of  reasoning  to  conclude 
that  an  enemy  who  could  pluck  them  from  the 
seas  and  without  visible  effort  lift  them  more  than 

263 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

a  mile  high  could  as  readily  release  his  hold  and 
send  them  to  destruction  with  meteorlike  speed. 
Even  were  it  possible  to  destroy  those  monsters 
which  clutched  them,  to  do  so  would  be  self 
annihilation. 

They  were  ignored,  cut  off  from  those  above, 
and  divorced  from  the  waters  beneath  as  if  they 
were  creatures  of  no  importance,  to  be  treated 
like  mere  troublesome  insects,  exterminated  or 
spared  as  their  captor's  whim  might  dictate. 
The  glory  of  an  easy  conquest  in  the  Philippines, 
the  boastings  which  had  followed  the  subjugation 
of  Hawaii,  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  previous 
conquests, — all  were  obliterated,  all  erased  from 
the  scroll  of  valorous  deeds  by  an  action  which 
had  lasted  less  than  an  hour.  And  now,  like 
beaten  legionaries  chained  to  the  victor's  car, 
they  were  being  carried  away  toward  the  rising 
sun  and  an  unknown  fate. 


CHAPTER    VII 


O  stranger  spectacle  was  ever  out- 
lined against  the  sky  than  that  of 
the  fate  laden  morning,  when  at  a 
height  of  more  than  three  miles 
above  the  sea  the  Emperor's  ships  were  borne 
away.  A  child  full  of  life,  energy,  and  vivacity, 
clutched  in  the  inflexible  talons  of  a  merciless 
eagle,  and  hurried  into  the  empyrean,  would  have 
been  no  more  helpless.  The  sun's  rays  were  now 
painting  the  surface  of  a  far  reaching,  untenanted 
ocean,  on  whose  waves  no  sail  caught  the  breeze, 
and  across  whose  depths  sallied  no  squadrons. 
The  day  of  its  abandonment  was  at  hand,  and  the 
time  not  distant  when  seafaring  was  to  become 
merely  legendary. 

In  the  profound  solitude  of  the  upper  air  the 
radioplanes  swung  majestically  in  a  wide  circle, 
and  then  like  a  flock  of  geese  in  homeward  flight 
formed  a  long  line  which  in  stately  procession  di- 
rected its  course  to  the  east. 

The  Japanese  knew  by  the  faces  staring  at 
them  from  the  bellies  of  the  monsters  which  had 

265 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

gathered  them  in  that  they  were  in  the  grasp  of 
the  enemy,  and  impotent,  although  throughout 
that  trying  day  no  word  was  addressed  to  them. 
Once,  from  their  lofty  planes  of  transit,  they  saw 
through  their  glasses  a  dim  outline  on  the  far 
southern  horizon  whose  faint  blue  haze  held  Hon- 
olulu, designated  as  a  stopping  place,  but  which 
they  were  never  to  reach, — destined  to  be  a  port 
for  naught  but  phantom  ships — a  port  of  dreams. 
To  them  their  progress  through  the  air  was  at 
a  terrifying  speed,  and  the  wind  of  flight  sweep- 
ing in  a  gale  across  their  decks  drove  them  to 
shelter;  but  they  did  not  know  that  the  machines 
above  them  were  working  at  slow  strength,  in 
order  that  their  coming  to  the  shores  of  the 
American  continent  might  be  unwitnessed  and 
unheralded.  The  hours  slipped  away,  until  below 
them  the  shadows  lengthened  and  deepened  and 
the  waves  were  no  longer  seen.  Up  in  their  aerial 
path  the  dusk  was  falling,  when  simultaneously 
they  came  to  a  halt  and  hung  motionless  in  mid- 
air. Officers  and  men  hurried  to  the  decks  to 
learn  what  this  change  might  portend,  and  as  they 
did  so  they  discovered  that  the  silent  monsters 
w^re  clustered  in  what  seemed  perilous  prox- 
imity to  the  craft  holding  their  redoubtable  flag- 
ship, the  Ito.  On  the  bridge  of  the  latter  ap- 
peared the  Admiral  of  the  fleet,  Kamigawa,  his 
impassive  face  showing  nothing  to  his  followers  of 

266 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

the  strain  under  which  he  had  labored  during 
those  long  hours  of  captivity.  Like  his  fellow 
officers,  he  looked  at  the  assemblage,  anxious  to 
know  the  cause  of  the  abrupt  stop,  and  then  aloft 
to  the  engines  of  victory,  from  each  of  which 
there  whipped  and  cracked  in  the  evening  breeze 
the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

The  grinding  noise  of  metal  sliding  over  metal 
attracted  his  attention,  and  almost  before  it  had 
ceased  a  man  clad  in  the  blue  uniform  of  the 
United  States  navy  leaned  out  of  a  huge  port, 
holding  himself  by  his  hand,  and  frowning  down 
at  the  men  upon  the  Ito's  bridge. 

"  Good  evening,  Kamigawa!  "  a  voice  hailed 
with  gruff  resonance,  and  he  recognized  Bevins, 
who  had  been  an  instructor  in  the  naval  academy 
of  the  nation  which  had  presented  him  with  post- 
graduate instruction,  and  which  he  had  come  to 
assault. 

"  Good  evening,  Admiral,"  he  responded  in  ex- 
cellent English,  mentally  thankful  that  he  had 
offered  no  greater  resistance  to  this  famous  bull- 
dog of  the  sea;  but  with  no  taint  of  shame  cloud- 
ing his  mind  in  thus  being  recalled  to  the  fact  that 
he  had  attempted  war  upon  a  country  which  had 
helped  to  educate  him,  of  which  he  had  been  a 
guest  of  honor,  and  to  which  he  owed  much  in 
knowledge  or  seamanship. 

"  It  gives  me  much  pleasure,"  resumed  the 
267 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

voice  above  in  a  tone  of  cold  courtesy,  "  to  re- 
quest that  you  at  once  go  through  the  formality 
of  surrendering  your  entire  fleet,  and  signal  the 
other  vessels  from  your  flagship  that  in  behalf  of 
yourself  and  men  you  accept  parole  under  the 
usual  provision  that  neither  you  nor  any  of  your 
men  will  bear  arms  against  the  United  States  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  this  war." 

"But  I  can't  do  that!"  Kamigawa  protested 
in  a  tone  of  bitterness. 

"  Very  well,"  came  the  curt  answer.  "  I  shall 
at  once  drop  you,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  noth- 
ing will  give  me  greater  joy." 

The  blue  figure  with  its  flapping  coat  tails 
swung  back  toward  the  open  port  with  an  air  of 
decision,  and  the  Japanese  Admiral  knew  that  this 
was  no  time  for  the  practice  of  deception  and 
evasion.  The  man  above  was  not  one  to  be  trifled 
with,  and  could  be  depended  upon  to  keep  his 
word  unfalteringly,  even  though  it  might  cost  the 
lives  of  every  prisoner  taken.  He  hastened  to 
relinquish  his  last  hold  upon  his  vessels  and 
men. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Admiral!"  he  hastened  to 
call.  "  You  can  at  least  give  me  time  to  ask  them 
their  wishes?  " 

"  You  are  not  to  ask  them! "  was  the  sharp  re- 
ply from  above.  "  You  are  to  tell  them  that  they 
can  save  their  lives  by  giving  their  parole.  There 

268 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

is  no  alternative.  I'm  not  asking  favors,  but  sim- 
ply giving  you  a  chance." 

«  But " 

"That's  all!  My  country  doesn't  have  to  beg 
favors  from  all  nations  combined.  You  have  seen 
damned  good  evidence  of  that!  It's  no  favor  to 
me  if  you  give  your  parole.  You  can  have  twenty 
minutes!  " 

The  port  above  clanged  shut,  and  Kamigawa, 
his  cup  of  bitterness  filled  to  the  brim,  reluctantly 
signaled  the  other  members  of  the  fleet,  who 
seemed  less  bent  than  he  upon  delay.  As  the 
darkness  settled  more  closely  round  them  and 
joined  the  blanket  of  shadows  below,  there  floated 
from  every  captive  ship  the  plain  white  flag  be- 
tokening complete  surrender.  The  sun  banner — 
the  emblem  of  Japan — had  disappeared  from  the 
seas.  She  was  no  longer  a  naval  power,  and  her 
brief  encroachment,  advancement,  and  season  of 
truculence  was  at  an  end. 

As  the  last  cloth  of  white  fluttered  out,  the  port 
above  the  Ito  again  opened,  and  a  voice  called 
down  "  Thank  you,"  and  then  continued,  "  I'm 
sorry  for  you,  Kamigawa,  but  it  can't  be  helped. 
It's  the  fortune  of  war.  Now  we  are  going  to 
bring  your  cruiser  Yakumo  alongside  you  and  the 
Kashima,  and  we  want  you  to  have  all  those 
aboard  transfer  at  once.  We  can't  carry  her  any 
more." 

269 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

He  did  not  explain  to  the  enemy  that  radio- 
plane  Seventeen,  which  had  been  struck  by  a  shell, 
feared  that  the  heavy  burden  of  transporting  the 
Yakumo  would  prove  too  much  for  a  higher  rate 
of  speed. 

Steadily  and  without  apparent  effort  the  three 
radioplanes  came  together,  until  the  cruiser 
rubbed  sides  with  the  two  battleships.  Here  were 
no  rolling  swells  and  turbulent  waves  to  prevent 
such  a  maneuver.  In  the  quietude  of  that  aerial 
tryst,  ruffled  only  by  the  breeze  of  the  night,  the 
ponderous  masses  of  steel  were  brought  into  con- 
tact as  gently  as  if  held  by  giant  hands.  Grouped 
around  them  were  other  dread  machines,  which 
suddenly,  to  facilitate  the  transfer,  threw  the  bril- 
liant beams  of  a  score  of  searchlights  upon  the 
decks  of  the  doomed  Yakumo,  their  rays  illu- 
minating and  overflowing  the  upper  works  of  the 
Ito  and  the  Kashima,  between  which  she  was  held 
motionlessly. 

The  great  guns  of  the  three  war  vessels  stared 
open  mouthed  at  each  other.  Their  turrets 
loomed  darkly,  and  cut  off  the  farther  rays  of 
light,  and  in  the  white  glare  the  faces  of  the  men 
standing  upon  the  decks  took  on  a  ghastly  hue. 
With  muttered  conversation  and  alert  obedience 
to  orders,  the  men  of  the  Yakumo  stepped  from 
their  own  deck  to  those  beside  them,  dividing 
themselves  into  equal  parts.  It  was  hard  to  re- 

270 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

alize  in  that  spot  of  light,  surrounded  by  the  black 
shadows  of  the  night,  where  all  was  still  and  sta- 
tionary, that  they  were  three  miles  above  the  sur- 
face of  a  tossing  sea,  and  that  to  step  out  into  the 
gloom  would  be  .to  step  out  of  life.  It  was  a 
ghostly  interchange  in  a  world  of  unreality.  Re- 
luctantly and  sorrowfully  they  took  their  places 
on  the  battleships,  and  turned  to  bid  farewell  to 
the  beautiful  cruiser  which  had  been  their  home 
for  so  many  nights.  They  were  all  clear  now,  and 
not  a  living  thing  was  left  upon  her. 

Once  more  the  dynamos  of  the  radioplanes  in- 
creased their  speed.  Slowly  they  drew  apart,  the 
one  clasping  the  cruiser  alone  remaining  motion- 
less. The  searchlights,  like  steady  eyes  of  the 
night,  still  stared  at  the  cruiser,  whose  every  gun 
and  every  bolt  was  brought  out  clear  and  distinct 
in  the  radiance.  During  the  day  her  crew  had 
cast  off  her  broken  top  hamper,  which  in  any 
event  would  have  been  useless,  and  now,  swept 
clean  by  the  wind,  she  seemed  illumined  for  her 
death.  With  the  parting  rub  of  her  armored 
sides  against  the  Ito  and  the  Kashima  she  had 
bade  a  last  good  by  to  her  sister  ships,  and  now 
seemed  the  center  of  a  tragedy  of  the  night,  wait- 
ing for  her  execution.  From  the  deck  of  every- 
surrendered  ship  silent  and  sorrowing  men  looked 
upon  her  as  if  fascinated,  and  something  of  pity 
crept  into  the  eyes  which  watched  her  from  the 

271 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ports  of  that  conquering  fleet  of  the  air.  They 
too  were  sailors. 

She  was  held  thus  for  a  moment,  and  the  soft- 
ened hearts  of  the  conquerors  gave  to  her  a  last 
honor.  The  port  of  Seventeen  opened,  a  rope 
ladder  fell  from  its  metal  doorstep,  and  down  it 
passed  a  gray  haired  man,  who  had  once  com- 
manded and  loved  such  a  cruiser  as  was  she.  It 
was  Brockton.  The  captives  on  the  decks  of  the 
captive  ships  strained  forward,  wondering  what  it 
could  mean.  The  blue  clad  figure  walked  the 
length  of  the  Yakumo,  reached  out  a  hand  to  a 
short  halyard,  and  pulled  down  the  flag  of  sur- 
render. He  rolled  it  into  a  bundle  and  tossed  it 
out  into  the  wall  of  darkness,  and  from  beneath 
his  coat  withdrew  a  bundle  which  he  unfolded  and 
affixed  to  the  loops.  Suddenly,  as  if  bestowing  a 
last  honor  upon  the  dying,  he  gave  a  tug,  and 
the  flag  of  Japan  was  flung  to  the  breeze.  The 
Yakumo  should  not  pass  to  death  unhonored, 
and  was  destined  to  be  the  only  warrior  to  go 
down  with  colors  flying.  A  wild  cheer  of  short 
duration  burst  from  the  vanquished  as  the  officer 
remounted  his  ladder  and  closed  his  port. 

Then,  released  and  liberated,  she  fell,  the  bril- 
liant rays  following  her  to  the  end.  Down,  down, 
down,  falling  at  first  on  an  even  keel,  she  plunged, 
her  flag  fluttering  wildly  in  the  descent.  Gradu- 
ally she  turned  bow  on  as  if  preparing  for  the  dive 

272 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

to  death.  With  terrific  force  she  returned  to  the 
waves  of  the  Pacific,  and  entered  them,  throwing 
up  in  that  mighty  impact  a  tremendous  cascade 
of  foaming  waters,  which  lashed  themselves  into 
the  air  in  mad  wraiths  of  ghostly  white,  surged 
back  in  angry  billows,  and  resumed  their  quietude. 
The  Yakumo  had  gone  to  the  graveyard  of  the 
valiant,  and  the  searchlights  showed  nothing 
more  than  the  crests  of  the  depths  which  had 
furnished  her  a  shroud. 

The  men  of  Japan  who  had  witnessed  her  part- 
ing had  been  wrapped  in  breathless  silence.  Now 
it  was  broken  by  one  great  sob  as  the  man  who 
had  commanded  her  turned  away  from  the  bridge 
of  the  Ito,  blinded  with  tears.  Above  them  the 
port  reopened,  and  the  fighting  Admiral  again  ad- 
dressed them;  but  in  a  voice  which  told  that  he 
too  was  not  without  sympathy. 

"  Admiral,"  he  said,  "  order  all  your  men  to  go 
below  decks.  We  have  been  loafing  all  day,  and 
will  have  to  speed  up  now.  It  will  be  death  to 
stay  exposed." 

Aroused  from  their  last  look  at  the  Yakumo, 
they  were  amazed  at  this  information,  but  com- 
plied; and  before  the  last  man  had  crowded  down 
the  companionways  the  wind  began  shrilling 
about  their  ears.  Away  through  the  night  with 
sudden  velocity  shot  the  radioplanes  at  a  speed 
which  would  bring  them  to  the  coast  long  before 

273 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

darkness  had  ceased.  In  all  the  American  fleet 
there  was  not  a  man  who  did  not  know  that  Lake 
Washington  at  Seattle  was  their  destination.  Its 
landlocked  sides,  guarded  by  towering  hills  and 
giant  forests,  and  overlooked  by  a  splendid  city, 
was  to  be  the  prison  of  the  enemy's  craft.  Its 
length,  its  breadth,  and  its  depth  were  sufficient  to 
float  the  combined  navies  of  the  world. 

Their  flight  was  well  timed;  for  it  was  still  dark 
when  they  swam  down  through  the  air  over  the 
waters  which  were  to  reclasp  the  ships  of  Japan 
in  their  usual  environment.  The  Norma  swooped 
lower  and  lower,  decreased  the  speed  of  her  de- 
scent, passed  over  West  Seattle  on  its  little  penin- 
sula, the  quiet  Puget  Sound  with  its  long  wharves, 
and  then  gently  settled  above  the  placid  lake. 
Slowly,  like  a  water  fowl  wearied  of  flight  and 
seeking  its  ease,  it  approached  the  surface,  and 
with  infinite  care  rested  its  burden,  until  the  Ito 
was  again  afloat. 

Norma,  at  her  chosen  post  of  duty,  put  out  a 
tired  hand  to  a  controller,  gently  moved  it  a  notch, 
turned  off  the  current  which  made  the  radio- 
plane  a  lodestone  of  terrific  power,  threw  another 
switch  as  the  Admiral  beckoned,  and  then,  with 
a  great  sigh  of  relief,  felt  the  machine  lift  itself 
into  the  air.  It  came  to  a  stop,  and  through  a  port, 
by  the  Admiral's  side,  she  watched  that  procession 
of  dull  red  lights  emulate  her  example.  Ship 

274 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

after  ship  was  released,  and  invariably  the  signal 
came  flashing  to  their  eyes,  "  Deposited  without 
accident."  There  was  another  quick  interchange 
of  orders;  the  Norma  turned  her  beak  toward  the 
stars  of  the  southeast,  gathered  headway,  and  led 
her  followers  back  through  the  night  in  homing 
flight  to  the  key  which  had  seen  their  creation. 

The  Admiral  gave  a  great  sigh  of  satisfaction 
for  work  well  done,  and  stretched  himself  out  on 
a  settee  to  rest,  looking  curiously  as  he  did  so 
at  the  supple  figure  in  the  hood  which  for  nearly 
twenty-four  hours  had  steadily  led  him  on  to  vic- 
tory. He  called  to  her,  and  tried  to  induce  her 
to  accept  relief;  but  she  declined  with  a  weary 
smile,  saying,  "  No,  not  until  we  get  home.  It 
will  be  but  a  little  while  now." 

Something  in  the  words  she  had  thoughtlessly 
used  recalled  her  own  heart  longing.  What  were 
the  achievements  of  war,  the  inspirations  of  con- 
flict, or  the  glories  of  triumph,  in  comparison  with 
peace,  love,  and  home?  With  an  indefinable  sense 
of  great  yearning  she  thought  that  Guy  was  on 
the  sea,  going  away  from  her  and  her  people,  and 
even  in  the  heart  of  the  radioplane  which  was  can- 
celing space  at  the  rate  of  five  hundred  miles  an 
hour  the  distance  between  them  seemed  intermi- 
nable. Life  was  made  up  of  good  byes!  And  so 
in  a  reverie  of  bitterness  she  clung  to  the  hood 
and  fought  against  fatigue,  until,  as  the  morning 

275 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

was  upon  them,  she  sent  the. craft  to  rest  in  front 
of  the  shops  where  their  return  had  been  anx- 
iously awaited.  Overcome  with  weariness,  and 
feeling  throughout  every  fiber  of  her  body  the 
snapped  tension  of  sudden  relaxation,  she  stag- 
gered through  the  port  into  the  fresh  air  of  the 
dawn. 

From  every  direction  men  were  running  madly 
to  surround  them,  and  even  the  Columbia  was 
landing  men  upon  the  shores,  who  joined  in  the 
rush.  The  limping  old  Admiral  stood  in  the 
door,  when  Roberts,  supported  by  two  surgeons, 
appeared.  Norma  clasped  him  in  her  arms  and 
burst  into  noiseless,  nervous  sobs,  which  he  mis- 
interpreted. 

"  Failed!  You  failed,  my  daughter?  "  he  asked 
forlornly,  while  the  men  waiting  for  news  crowded 
forward  to  hear  the  answer.  It  was  given  by 
Bevins. 

"  Failed  nothing!  We  cleaned  them  out  and 
landed  them  where  we  started  to  without  the  loss 
of  a  life!" 

Those  still  aboard  the  Columbia  needed  no 
messenger  to  bring  the  news.  The  workers  of 
the  plant  burst  into  a  frenzy  of  exultation.  The 
Admiral  stilled  them  with  an  upraised  hand. 

"  Men,"  he  said,  "  I  take  no  credit  for  the 
result,  and  I'm  big  enough  so  to  report  to  Wash- 
ington. This  battle  brought  out  three  heroes: 

276 


THE    EAGLE'S    FLIGHT 

Brockton,  Jenkins,  and  above  all  this  little  girl, 
Norma  Roberts."  His  "  God  Bless  her! "  was 
lost  in  the  tumult.  They  were  men  intoxicated 
with  the  wine  of  victory.  They  yelled  themselves 
hoarse.  They  patted  one  another  on  the  back, 
hurled  their  caps  into  the  air,  and  finally  formed 
escorts  of  honor  to  conduct  the  men  and  officers 
of  the  fleet  to  their  cabins,  asking  over  and  over 
for  details  of  the  fight. 

And  even  as  those  tired  fighters  went  to  rest, 
in  a  city  across  the  continent  newsboys  were  cry- 
ing their  extras  through  the  streets,  and  the  citi- 
zens of  a  great  city  were  asking  one  another  how 
the  night  had  worked  its  miracle.  A  lounging 
patrolman  in  Ravenna  Park,  which  bordered  on 
Lake  Washington,  had  sleepily  rubbed  his  eyes  as 
the  sun  was  tinting  the  everlasting  snows  of  the 
Olympics,  and  had  come  to  a  sudden  stop,  leaning 
against  a  tree  and  wondering  if  he  was  still  asleep; 
but  with  his  knuckles  he  could  not  obliterate  the 
floating  vision  before  him.  He  convinced  himself 
by  a  lusty  hail,  "  Hello  out  there!  What  are  you 
doing?  Get  off  that  lake!"  and  back  to  him 
there  volleyed  a  storm  of  objurgations  in  an  un- 
known tongue.  Not  until  he  had  called  a  fellow 
officer  and  rowed  a  boat  round  those  fallen  mon- 
archs  of  the  deep  did  he  learn  that  they  were  cap- 
tive to  his  country,  and  then,  elated  with  the  news, 
he  hastened  to  impart  it. 

19  277 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

But  this  was  not  the  only  surprise  for  Seattle. 
For  some  days  preceding  troops  had  been  pouring 
into  the  port,  and  it  had  been  the  general  belief 
that  they  were  being  mobilized  preparatory  to 
embarkation  for  the  Philippines  or  Japan.  On 
this  morning,  however,  there  was  an  exodus. 
Nearly  all  the  troops  had  disappeared  in  the  night. 
Likewise  there  were  strange  happenings  in  the 
telegraph  offices.  When  men  went  to  consign 
messages  they  were  met  with  the  intelligence  that 
the  wires  were  in  charge  of  military  operators, 
that  nothing  could  be  received  for  any  point  be- 
yond the  borders  of  the  United  States,  and  that 
all  messages  without  exception  would  be  censored 
before  transmission.  The  newspapers  fumed  and 
roared,  until  they  learned  that  all  incoming  news 
would  pass  uninterruptedly;  but  that  for  purposes 
known  only  to  the  Government  the  story  of  the 
presence  of  the  Japanese  fleet  would  be  closely 
guarded  for  the  time  being.  For  once  "  The 
Post  -  Intelligencer,"  "The  Times,"  and  "The 
Star  "  united  in  attacking  the  administration. 

Polite  officers  forwarded  appeals  from  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  to  Washington;  but  the 
Government  answered  that  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive, because  if  the  secret  was  known  throughout 
the  United  States  the  chances  for  its  leakage 
across  the  lines  would  be  augmented.  All  Sound 
traffic  stopped,  and  from  the  great  union  depot  no 

278 


THE     EAGLE'S     FLIGHT 

departing  trains  rumbled.  Within  an  hour  it  was 
known  that  a  cordon  of  soldiers  surrounded  the 
city,  and  that  all  traffic  or  communication  with 
the  outside  world  was  interdicted.  Seattle  had 
been  isolated. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  presence  of  the  captured 
fleet  and  the  method  of  its  taking  were  unknown 
to  the  country  at  large.  Seattle  extended  all 
consistent  courtesies  to  the  vanquished;  but  it 
afforded  little  balm. 

And  thus  it  was  that  for  many  days,  imprisoned, 
powerless,  and  lost,  with  crippled  tops,  crushed 
stacks  and  under  the  white  flag  of  surrender,  the 
flower  of  Japanese  prowess  floated  on  an  inland 
sea  in  sullen  mourning,  while  the  gasping  world 
shuddered  in  contemplation  of  its  fate. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

WHAT   BEFELL   THE   EMPEROR 

IKE  a  lonely  rock  that  has  withstood 
the  fury  of  a  storm  and  the  batter- 
ing of  the  seas  to  emerge  again  into 
sunlight,  the  President  felt  his  time 
of  justification  approaching.  His  hour  of  triumph 
was  at  hand,  and  his  prayers  were  being  answered; 
but  the  task  was  not  yet  done. 

The  unqualified  victory  over  the  Japanese  fleet 
made  the  outcome  of  the  war  a  certainty;  hence  it 
was  with  patience  that  the  administration  waited 
for  the  next  move  in  the  Far  East,  which  must  of 
necessity  come  from  China.  There  was  no  doubt 
that  she  would  assist  her  ally.  At  first  this  seemed 
an  imminent  action;  but  several  days  passed 
bringing  through  the  secret  service  no  news  save 
that  her  fleet,  huge  and  well  manned,  was  making 
preparations  to  sail.  The  President,  knowing 
that  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  purpose  Orien- 
tal power  must  be  broken,  indulged  in  the  fervent 
hope  that  the  attack  might  come  soon. 

There  was  less  trouble  internally,  as  the  people 
were  beginning  to  have  faith  in  the  administra- 

280 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

tion,  though  they  were  speculating  as  to  what 
course  of  procedure  was  being  followed.  It  was 
while  affairs  were  in  this  condition  that  the  sailing 
of  the  British  fleet  was  duly  announced  through 
secret  channels  of  information.  The  coterie  saw 
before  it  the  necessity  of  either  abandoning  the 
hope  of  teaching  China  a  drastic  lesson  and  an- 
nouncing its  secret  to  the  world  or  meeting  the 
British  squadrons  and  holding  them  hostage  in 
the  interest  of  peace.  They  chose  the  latter  alter- 
native, and  thereby  was  caused  the  strangest 
chapter  in  the  history  of  war. 

Like  that  other  sally  outward  to  the  Western 
seas,  this  one  was  timely.  It  was  made  when  the 
British  fleet  might  be  met  beyond  the  reach  of 
wireless  telegraph  communication,  and  the  depar- 
ture from  the  key  was  also  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness. Again  there  was  a  resemblance  to  the 
Japanese  affair,  in  that  the  appearance  of  the 
radioplanes  created  surprise  and  consternation 
on  the  warships.  Here,  however,  the  similarity 
ended.  The  Anglo-Saxon  mind  knows  no  such 
thing  as  surrender  when  once  it  is  stirred  to  the 
depths  of  its  stubbornness.  It  can  read  only  two 
answers  to  the  riddle  of  conflict, — victory  or 
death, — as  has  been  attested  by  many  a  hard 
fought  battle  on  land  and  sea. 

The  armada  of  Great  Britain  had  sailed  with 
apprehensions,  being  fully  cognizant  that  it  was 

281 


THE-. VANISHING      FLEETS 

invading  a  territory  of  mystery  and  danger,  and 
the  vigilance  of  its  watch,  therefore,  was  never 
relaxed.  The  consternation  caused  by  the  first 
sight  of  the  aerial  fleet  was  immediately  followed 
by  a  hurried  clearing  of  the  decks  for  action,  al- 
though defeat  in  a  battle  against  such  overpow- 
ering odds  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  No  gun 
was  fired,  however,  and  all  stood  expectantly 
awaiting  a  declaration  of  intent  from  the  monsters 
of  the  air  which  had  come  upon  them  in  the  full 
glare  of  the  afternoon  sun. 

With  slow  and  stately  majesty  the  radioplanes 
approached,  each  flying  the  flag  of  the  United 
States  and  beneath  it  the  emblem  of  truce.  The 
Dreadnought,  answering  sluggishly  to  the  swell 
and  hurling  great  cascades  of  water  from  its  bow, 
was  in  the  heart  of  the  formation,  and  in  its  pon- 
derous might  seemed  fearless  of  anything  afloat. 
Toward  it  the  foremost  radioplane  directed  its 
course,  dropping  steadily  down  until  full  abreast 
and  on  a  level  with  the  great  fighting  tops,  while 
the  officers  of  the  battleship  watched  with  amaze- 
ment its  splendid  control.  Not  till  then  was  there 
a  visible  display  of  life  aboard  it.  A  port  opened 
and  into  the  blackness  of  its  frame  Bevins 
emerged,  while  directly  behind  him  stood  the 
scientist,  who  had  recovered,  and  was  to  witness 
the  first  full  demonstration  of  the  power  he  had 
evolved.  On  the  bridge  of  the  battleship  the 

282 


WHAT      BEFELL     THE      EMPEROR 

British  Admiral  stood,  surrounded  by  staff  of- 
ficers. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Admiral,"  the  American 
hailed.  "  Glad  to  see  you.  How  do  you  like  the 
looks  of  us?  " 

Across  Fields'  face  flitted  a  half  smile.  "  We 
are  very  well  indeed,  Admiral  Bevins;  but  can't 
say  we  are  particularly  glad  to  see  you,  or  sure 
that  we  like  you  until  we  know  more.  Clever  in- 
vention that.  Must  have  been  conceived  by  an 
Englishman." 

Behind  the  United  States  officer  a  withered 
little  figure  became  imbued  with  a  sudden  frenzy 
of  passion  and  threatened  to  interject  an  unpleas- 
ant remark;  but  Bevins  checked  him  with  a  laugh 
and  grew  serious  again. 

"  Admiral,"  he  said,  "  my  country  isn't  at  war 
with  yours.  You  understand  that." 

Field  looked  relieved,  and  lost  somewhat  of 
his  air  of  set  defiance.  At  the  head  of  his  men 
he  crossed  to  the  end  of  the  bridge  where  he 
might  be  nearer  the  one  addressing  him.  The 
nervous  strain  of  the  situation  was  being  rapidly 
diminished.  "  Frankly,  I'm  glad  to  be  reassured," 
he  replied.  "  There  are  a  lot  of  things  we'd  rather 
know." 

"  And  which  I  shall  be  glad  to  explain  if  you 
and  a  dozen  of  your  immediate  subordinates  will 
come  aboard  as  my  guests." 

283 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

The  invitation  was  immediately  accepted;  but  it 
was  a  trying  interview  for  the  Britons.  The  ma- 
chine on  which  they  were  received  was  the  Rob- 
erts, which  was  the  latest  production  of  the  plant 
on  the  key.  It  was  larger  than  its  predecessors, 
and  had  been  made  the  most  pretentious.  It  was 
elegantly  appointed.  Amidships  it  contained  a 
drawing  room  on  which  the  most  careful  work- 
manship had  been  lavished.  The  guests  gathered 
round  a  huge  mahogany  table,  whose  polished 
top  reflected  the  light  from  the  colored  ports  of 
the  dome,  and  were  served  with  refreshments 
before  Bevins  recurred  to  the  object  of  his  visit. 
He  drew  from  his  pocket  an  official  packet  and 
laid  it  open  before  him. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  began,  "  of  course  you  are 
interested  in  all  that  you  have  seen,  and  in  the 
attitude  of  the  United  States.  What  I  shall  read 
to  you  are  my  orders.  I  have  come  out  here  to 
meet  you  for  the  purpose,  first  of  all,  that  you 
may  hear  them." 

The  Roberts  had  ascended  to  an  altitude  above 
the  others  of  the  American  fleet,  and  was  resting 
in  mid  air.  It  was  very  still,  the  light  hum  of  a 
small  dynamo  from  behind  the  partitions  being 
the  only  disturber  of  silence.  He  opened  the 
document  and  read: 

'  You  are  instructed  to  intercept  the   British 
fleet  and  assure  its  officers  of  the  good  will  of  the 

284 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

United  States  toward  His  Majesty  King  Edward 
VII.  and  all  his  subjects.  You  are  to  explain  to 
them  that  the  United  States  is  compelled,  in  pur- 
suance of  its  adopted  policy  formulated  at  the 
commencement  of  the  war  with  Japan,  to  main- 
tain the  secret  of  its  power  until  such  time  as  it 
is  deemed  -expedient  to  announce  it  to  the  world. 
You  will  then  endeavor  to  induce  the  British  fleet 
to  surrender  itself  into  your  hands  as  the  guest  of 
this  country,  assuring  those  in  command  that  all 
damages  accruing  will  be  repaired  by  the  United 
States.  You  are  to  use  all  due  caution  to  avoid 
injury  to  life,  property,  or  pride,  and  to  transport 
the  entire  fleet  to  the  waters  of  Chesapeake  Bay, 
after  which  for  a  brief  period  the  officers  and  men 
of  Great  Britain  will  be  entertained  by  the  United 
States." 

Bevins  stopped  and  looked  into  the  faces  con- 
fronting him,  which  expressed  a  variety  of  emo- 
tions, running  the  gamut  from  stolidity  to  won- 
der, and  from  complaisance  to  indignation.  The 
paper  in  his  hands  gave  out  a  crinkling  noise  as  he 
turned  it  backward  and  forward  between  his  fingers. 

The  British  Admiral's  visage  was  a  frowning 
one.  "Your  country  asks  too  much!"  he  said 
almost  explosively.  "  And  really  it  volunteers  no 
explanation  of  its  acts  or  intentions."  Some  of 
his  companions  nodded  their  heads  in  approval. 
"  We  can't  accept." 

285 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Bevins  reopened  the  parchment.  "  I  must  then 
read  you  the  concluding  clause,"  he  said,  and 
began: 

"  It  is  strongly  desired  that  there  be  no  clash 
at  arms;  but  in  any  event  you  are  to  return  with 
the  fleet." 

There  was  brief  silence  in  the  room,  which  was 
broken  by  Fields,  who  jumped  to  his  feet.  Bevins 
also  rose,  and  the  other  officers  did  likewise.  The 
situation  threatened  unhappy  conclusions;  but 
Bevins  held  up  a  restraining  hand  and  went  on: 

"  Here!  Before  you  underestimate  the  force  of 
the  last  clause,  let  me  give  you  a  demonstration 
of  what  we  can  do  and  how  difficult  it  would  be 
for  you  to  offer  any  defense  or  effective  resistance 
whatever." 

He  turned  to  a  speaking  tube,  gave  a  curt 
order,  and  requested  his  visitors  to  look  through 
the  transparent  ports,  which  were  suddenly 
opened  beneath  their  feet.  The  Roberts  swept  up 
into  the  air  to  such  a  prodigious  height  that  the 
internal  pressure  against  her  shell  became  terrific. 
She  was  at  such  an  altitude  that  no  mortal  being 
could  have  withstood  the  strain,  and  only  her 
splendid  anchorable  construction  and  cohesive 
qualities  kept  her  from  flying  apart.  The  world 
below  was  reduced  in  appearance  until  its  surface 
was  obliterated  in  a  dull  haze  and  the  shadows  of 
the  sun  were  marked  against  its  eastern  outline. 

286 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

In  great  circles  she  descended,  until  the  water 
again  became  visible,  then  the  vessels  upon  it,  and 
last  of  all  the  crests  of  the  waves.  Now  she 
swooped  lower,  and  then  at  a  speed  of  nearly  six 
hundred  miles  an  hour  whipped  a  straight  line 
close  above  the  tops  of  the  righting  masts,  slowed 
down,  and  whirled  in  and  out  about  and  above  the 
British  ships  as  easily  as  would  a  swallow  in  play- 
ful flight.  On  the  decks  of  the  vessels  men  stared 
in  wide  eyed  amazement  at  this  demon  of  the  air, 
at  first  fearing  that  control  had  been  lost  and  the 
lives  of  those  aboard  were  in  jeopardy.  Then  at 
the  splendid  exhibition  of  speed  and  handling 
they  were  dumfoundered.  The  Roberts  then  rose 
in  one  quick  lift  until  it  was  above  the  plane  of 
altitude  assumed  by  the  other  machines,  poised 
for  a  moment,  and  came  to  a  stop.  In  all  this 
time  no  one  had  spoken  a  word.  Now  they 
turned  to  the  American,  unloosing  their  convul- 
sive clutches  from  the  seats  and  liberated  from  the 
spell. 

"  Admiral,  do  you  think  there  is  any  gunnery 
that  can  hurt  us,  anything  that  can  overtake 
us,  or  that  if  we  wish  to  we  may  not  master  the 
world?  "  he  asked  in  a  voice  of  extreme  quiet. 

Fields  shrugged  his  shoulders  hopelessly,  made 
a  grimace,  and  looked  at  his  fellows.  "  Gentle- 
men," he  said  in  a  dry  tone,  "  it  seems  to  me  that 
we  should  without  any  delay  accept  the  hospitality 

287 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

which  the  United  States  has  extended  so  court- 
eously." 

The  others  appreciated  the  grim  humor  of  the 
situation,  and  in  like  vein  acquiesced.  The  sur- 
prise which  they  had  undergone  was  nothing 
compared  to  that  with  which,  as  the  day  waned, 
they  witnessed  the  lifting  of  their  craft  from  the 
waters.  With  the  utmost  care  the  task  was  ac- 
complished, and  everything  made  ready  for  the 
westward  journey.  Only  one  mishap  occurred 
beyond  the  necessary  damage  to  the  ships,  and 
that  was  not  discovered  until  the  following  day. 
A  sailor  of  the  Dreadnought,  maddened  by  the 
spectacle  he  had  witnessed,  had  unleashed  a  life 
raft  unobserved  and  thrown  himself  and  it  into  the 
water  by  the  use  of  its  tackle  at  some  hour  of 
darkness  when  the  vessels  were  traveling  at  slow 
speed  and  close  to  the  surface  of  the  waves.  Bev- 
ins  grieved  more  over  this  incident  than  any 
other;  for  he  had  set  his  heart  upon  a  bloodless 
victory. 

Thus  it  was  that  on  the  following  day  there 
rested  in  the  Chesapeake  a  fleet  whose  fires  were 
banked,  whose  men  were  prohibited  from  shore 
leave,  and  whose  chief  officers  were  guests  in  the 
principal  hotels  of  New  York  and  Washington 
under  pledge  of  secrecy.  But  in  this  they  might 
take  heart;  although  some  slight  damage  had 
been  inflicted  on  the  vessels,  in  no  instance  did  the 

288 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

flag  come  down,  and  from  each  staff  floated  the 
Union  Jack  unsullied.  Communication  between 
ships  and  shores  was  interdicted;  so  even  the  in- 
habitants of  the  borders  could  do  no  more  than 
look  and  guess  as  to  how  the  fleet  had  sailed 
in  without  attracting  attention  or  meeting  with 
rebuff. 

Another  report  came  from  China  that  the  fleet 
of  the  dragon  was  still  under  waiting  orders; 
hence  there  was  nothing  for  the  administration  to 
do  but  mark  time,  which  it  did  with  poor  grace. 
Within  a  few  days,  however,  a  more  disturbing 
report  came  from  Europe  by  way  of  Canada,  the 
usual  source  of  communication.  It  was  to  the 
effect  that  the  Kaiser,  learning  of  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  British  fleet,  and  believing  it  de- 
stroyed, was  showing  quick  signs  of  aggression. 
Vainly  the  administration  hoped  that  his  belliger- 
ent intentions  might  be  overestimated;  but  the 
passage  of  days  proved  that  he  might  be  a  menace 
to  the  general  plan. 

It  was  hourly  expected  that  the  presence  of  the 
radioplanes  would  be  required  in  the  West  to 
meet  the  Chinese.  In  view  of  this  necessity,  it 
was  decided  to  dispatch  Brockton  and  Jenkins  to 
Berlin  on  a  mission  of  diplomacy.  They  were 
ordered  to  visit  the  Kaiser  at  night,  landing  at  a 
time  and  place  where  they  could  escape  observa- 
tion, induce  the  Emperor  and  his  Chancellor  to 

289 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

get  aboard  the  radioplane,  and  then,  after  it  had 
been  demonstrated  that  Germany  would  be  pow- 
erless in  the  event  of  war,  to  deliver  messages  an- 
nouncing that  the  United  States  purposed  to  gain 
what  support  she  could  for  a  world's  peace  volun- 
tarily, but  would  compel  it  if  need  be. 

Jenkins  was  familiar  with  the  German  capital, 
having  been  naval  attache  there  for  a  number  of 
years.  It  was  he  who  evolved  the  details.  The 
American  Ambassador  was  unaware  of  his  coun- 
try's defense  until  informed  on  the  night  of  the 
arrival,  and  was  speedily  enlisted  in  the  enter- 
prise. Through  him  the  Kaiser  granted  the  inter- 
view, which  led  to  his  visiting  the  radioplane 
which  had  been  brought  to  rest  beyond  the  out- 
skirts of  the  city. 

Brockton's  task  proved  a  most  difficult  one;  for 
the  Emperor,  a  man  of  science  and  interested  in 
all  engines  of  warfare,  insisted  on  being  conveyed 
not  only  to  the  plant  on  the  key,  but  across 
Chesapeake  Bay,  where  he  might  look  down  upon 
the  British  fleet.  The  night  was  ideal  for  the  pur- 
pose, Nature  seeming  to  lend  herself  in  behalf  of 
peace.  The  Norma,  now  fully  fitted  and  comfor- 
table, was  utilized  for  the  mission.  Like  all  others 
of  the  American  fleet,  she  carried  provision  suffi- 
cient to  enable  her  to  pass  many  times  round  the 
world  in  case  of  emergency. 

The  Kaiser  marveled  at  the  display  of  ingenu- 
290 


WHAT      BEFELL     THE      EMPEROR 

ity,  and  was  told  all  but  the  secret,  without  which 
no  one  could  cast  the  radioactive  metal.  He  was 
even  permitted  to  handle  the  steering  levers  and 
direct  her  flight  for  a  time,  and  entered  into  this 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  a  boy.  He  would  have 
driven  her  through  the  air  at  a  speed  which  would 
have  heated  her  interior  had  he  not  been  cau- 
tioned, and  relinquished  his  place  in  the  hood  only 
when  the  shores  of  the  western  continent  were 
reached  and  loomed  darkly  far  below. 

It  had  not  been  Brockton's  intention  to  show 
him  over  the  plant  on  the  key;  but  the  sovereign 
insisted  that  he  should  be  permitted  to  alight,  it 
being  his  first  visit  to  America,  which  he  had 
always  longed  to  make,  but  had  never  anticipated. 
He  was  permitted  to  traverse  the  great  machine 
shops  and  view  the  working  of  the  blast  furnace, 
and  also  to  gaze  at  the  formidable  fleet  of  mon- 
sters that  rested  idly  along  the  beach.  Muffled  in 
his  greatcoat  to  avoid  recognition,  he  was  strictly 
incognito,  and  met  neither  the  inventor,  "  the 
assistant,"  nor  Bevins,  who  many  hours  before 
had  retired  to  their  rest. 

His  mood  of  curiosity  had  given  way  to  one  of 
thoughtfulness  when  the  Norma  again  took  him 
aboard  and  started  northward.  He  sat  silently  in 
the  central  chamber  of  the  radioplane,  taking  no 
part  in  the  conversation  between  the  Chancellor 
and  Brockton,  until  the  machine  hovered  over  the 

291 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

waters  of  the  Chesapeake,  on  the  bosom  of  which, 
at  anchor,  rested  the  British  fleet,  and  then  dis- 
cussed the  possibilities  of  crossing  the  continent 
to  Lake  Washington. 

Brockton  was  compelled  to  enter  a  protest,  ex- 
plaining that  inasmuch  as  the  element  of  time  for 
his  return  must  enter  into  their  calculations,  they 
had  only  a  small  margin.  The  Kaiser  remem- 
bered that  he  was  in  a  machine  which  annihilated 
space;  but  that  in  traveling  from  the  west  to  the 
east  the  difference  in  the  rising  hour  of  the  sun 
meant  much  in  maintaining  secrecy;  so  he  reluct- 
antly relinquished  the  idea. 

"  But  it  will  not  trouble  you,  will  it,  to  carry  me 
across  the  cordon  which  has  been  established  be- 
tween your  country  and  Canada  on  the  homeward 
flight?"  he  asked,  and  to  this  Brockton  assented. 

They  turned  to  the  north,  and  at  a  high  altitude 
saw  far  below  them  the  constant  glow  of  search- 
lights dotting  out  in  streamers  of  white  the  bound- 
ary line  between  the  two  countries.  As'far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  to  the  east  and  the  west  the  watch 
was  being  maintained  unceasingly.  The  Kaiser 
recovered  his  good  humor,  laughed,  and  then, 
having  nothing  more  to  view  below,  returned  to 
the  hood,  where  he  again  asked  to  manipulate  the. 
machine. 

Jenkins  was  not  pleased  by  the  recklessness 
with  which  his  august  guest  experimented  with 

292 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

the  levers  and  switches;  but  feared  to  remon- 
strate, though  uttering  an  occasional  word  of 
caution.  Suddenly,  as  if  confused,  the  Kaiser 
opened  thfee  switches  at  once.  The  machine 
gave  a  mighty  lurch,  and  failed  to  obey  the  expert 
hand  that  was  instantly  reached  forward  to  con- 
trol it.  The  needle  showing  the  direction  took  a 
swift  leap  and  pointed  to  the  northwest. 

The  Kaiser  stepped  back  from  the  hood,  while 
.Jenkins  vainly  strove  to  bring  the  Norma  back 
into  her  eastward  course.  Rapidly  he  pulled  the 
switches  to  and  fro;  but  no  answering  spark 
showed  that  they  were  in  contact.  In  alarm  he 
checked  the  speed  of  the  radioplane,  and  called  to 
Brockton,  who,  frightened  by  the  erratic  move- 
ment of  the  craft,  had  entered  the  hood. 

"  I  have  to  report,  sir,"  Jenkins  said,  "  that  the 
steering  currents  of  the  radioplane  are  out  of 
order,  and  that  we  can  no  longer  direct  her 
course.  She  is  now  heading  nor'-nor'west." 

Brockton's  brows  came  together  in  a  scowl. 
Nothing  but  the  presence  of  His  Majesty  pre- 
vented an  explosion.  "  What  do  you  suggest?  " 
he  asked  sharply. 

"  That  we  come  to  land  and  make  an  examina- 
jtion  and  whatever  repairs  are  necessary,  sir." 

"Very  well.     Do  so  at  once!" 

Within  a  few  minutes  the  Norma  had  found  a 
lower  level  and  her  searchlights  were  bringing 
20  .293 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

into  view  the  ground  beneath.  They  were  travel- 
ing slowly  over  a  primeval  forest  in  far  upper 
Canada.  A  spot  came  to  view  where  there  were 
no  trees,  and  into  this,  like  a  crippled  bird,  the 
Norma  came  to  a  stop  and  rested. 

The  Emperor  watched  the  first  attempts  to  de- 
fine the  difficulty  with  anxiety,  and  then,  yielding 
to  his  desire  for  a  sight  of  the  open,  asked  and 
obtained  the  unclosing  of  the  port,  through  which 
he  sauntered  into  the  night.  Without  observing 
what  was  around  him,  he  stood  leaning  against 
the  shell  of  the  radioplane,  thinking  with  annoy- 
ance of  the  difficulties  of  state  which  might  accrue 
if  his  absence  extended  over  a  day.  He  was 
aroused  by  the  sounds  of  hammering  and  rend- 
ing within,  and  reentered  the  craft,  which  was 
now  flooded  with  a  blinding  glare  of  radiance 
brought  into  life  by  the  ceaselessly  turning 
dynamos. 

On  their  knees,  with  uniforms  cast  aside,  and 
recklessly  tearing  away  the  carefully  wrought 
woodwork  of  the  paneled  side,  were  the  Admiral 
and  the  engineer,  while  back  of  them  the  dis- 
tracted Chancellor  of  the  Empire  held  a  short 
crowbar  in  his  hands  and  displayed  muscular  arms 
which  had  been  bared  to  the  elbow. 

"  I  am  sorry,  Your  Majesty,"  apologized  the 
Admiral,  looking  up  from  his  work;  "but  I  am 
afraid  that  a  confused  handling  of  the  levers  has 

294 


WHAT     BEFELL     THE     EMPEROR 

exposed  a  weakness.  A  cross  current,  a  burned 
insulation,  and  a  bad  connection  have  fused  our 
wires  somewhere,  and  we  may  be  delayed  for  a 
short  time." 

"  How  long?  " 

"  I  cannot  say.  Aside  from  the  delay,  there 
need  be  no  apprehension,  because  we  have  abun- 
dant food.  We  shall  have  to  uncover  the  dam- 
aged section  before  we  can  estimate  the  length  of 
our  stay." 

Fairly  gritting  his  teeth  in  rage,  the  Kaiser 
turned  on  his  heel  and  strode  out  into  the  open 
air  again.  What  a  fool  he  had  been  to  intrust 
himself  to  a  strange  mechanism  which  at  best  was 
treacherous!  A  day's  delay  would  not  mean 
much;  but  what  if  they  were  detained  for  many? 
The  waning  moon  had  risen,  and  in  its  light  he 
marched  up  and  down  a  stretch  of  turf  with  mili- 
tary precision,  until  his  anger  began  to  disappear 
and  his  natural  philosophy  to  afford  relaxation. 
He  became  conscious  of  the  beauties  of  the  night 
and  the  wilderness,  and  as  time  went  on  was  en- 
grossed in  contemplating  them. 

Only  the  moon  and  he  seemed  in  possession  of 
this  cleft  in  the  forest,  this  grass  carpeted  glade  in 
the  center  of  whose  breadth  a  hurrying  brook 
threw  strange  ribbons  of  light  upward.  Bordering 
this  asylum  of  the  wilderness  were  the  illimitable 
shadows  cast  by  lofty  spruce,  fir,  and  hemlock 

295 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

trees,  which  thrust  their  slender  plumes  like  curi- 
ous observers  high  above  the  denser  growths  of 
scrubby  birch  and  jack  pine.  Here  and  there 
were  splotches  of  light  where  the  moon  found 
ragged  openings,  making  of  the  woods  a  royal 
robe  spotted  without  regularity.  It  was  a  world 
of  enchantment,  mysterious  in  its  stillness,  mystic 
in  its  beauty,  and  alluring  in  its  stateliness.  Cares 
of  state  were  forgotten,  and  he  was  yielding  to  its 
spell,  when  a  voice  at  his  elbow  speaking  in  his 
native  tongue  interrupted  his  meditations. 

"Your  Majesty,"  the  Chancellor  said,  "they 
have  found  the  break,  and  say  that  with  the  tools 
at  command  it  will  require  several  days  perhaps  to 
repair  it.  Admiral  Bevins  expresses  his  regrets 
and " 

"  Gott  im  Himmel!  "  burst  from  the  Emperor's 
lips,  and  with  a  gesture  of  hopelessness  he  waved 
his  subject  away  and  began  an  agitated  march 
backward  and  forward,  while  the  Chancellor  re- 
turned to  render  what  assistance  he  could. 


CHAPTER   IX 
HIS  MAJESTY'S  VISIT 

N  the  heart  of  the  woods,  untrodden 
before  by  man,  the  sound  of  the 
hammer  awoke  the  German  Em- 
peror after  his  hours  of  anxious 
study.  By  choice  he  had  declined  to  sleep  in  the 
radioplane,  and  rolled  himself  in  his  blankets  on  an 
open  spot  of  turf.  The  cares  of  the  day  were  upon 
him  again  with  all  their  perplexities.  The  sun 
had  not  risen,  and  the  cool  breath  of  the  morning 
came  to  his  lungs  with  invigorating  freshness, 
while  a  bird  of  the  far  north  was  beginning  a  thin 
piping  to  its  mate,  and  a  camp  robber,  brilliantly 
impertinent,  hopped  round  his  woodland  couch 
and  gazed  unabashed  at  royalty. 

He  threw  aside  the  blankets  which  had  been 
tightly  rolled  round  him,  walked  to  the  brook, 
whose  song  had  lulled  him  in  his  dreams  of  the 
night,  and  bathed  his  hands  and  face  in  the  icy 
water.  A  great  trout,  disturbed  by  the  intrusion, 
sped  swiftly  away  from  a  rock  and  disappeared  in 
a  dark  pool  with  a  final  sweep  of  its  tail.  The 
Emperor  dried  his  face  on  his  handkerchief  and 

297 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

walked  slowly  across  the  glade  to  the  Norma, 
which  he  entered  curiously. 

There  they  all  were  as  on  the  night  before, 
tired,  work  worn,  and  anxious,  the  Chancellor  still 
with  his  sleeves  rolled  up,  the  Rear  Admiral 
stripped  to  his  undershirt,  and  the  engineer  peer- 
ing through  his  glasses  at  the  tangles  of  wire.  On 
the  night  before  the  Kaiser  had  stormed  and 
threatened,  had  mumbled  angry  soliloquies,  and 
sworn  mighty  oaths  to  the  unheeding  woods. 
Now  at  the  sight  of  these  faces  before  him  he  un- 
derstood to  the  full  that  these,  his  hosts,  must 
have  labored  throughout  the  night  trying  to  undo 
the  accident  which  perhaps  his  own  hands  had 
wrought.  It  softened  his  mood. 

They  saluted  him,  and  Brockton  rose  stiffly  to 
his  feet,  wiped  his  hands  on  his  trousers,  and  re- 
paired to  the  rear  of  the  radioplane,  from  which 
he  apologetically  returned  with  breakfast  for  his 
guest.  The  Emperor  ate  with  an  appetite  which 
was  made  keen  by  the  balsamy  night  air  in  which 
he  had  slept,  and  then  began  wishing  that  he  too 
might  take  part  in  this  manual  toil.  Almost  in- 
voluntarily he  assisted  the  fat  old  Chancellor,  who 
was  prying  loose  another  board  with  a  crowbar; 
but  he  felt  that  he  was  in  the  way,  and  after  loung- 
ing round  the  craft  for  a  time  decided  that  he 
would  have  another  look  at  the  brook.  It  was 
swarming  with  trout,  and,  half  ashamed  of  his 

298 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

zest,  he  returned  to  the  Norma,  and,  like  a  boy 
preparing  to  play  truant,  furtively  secured  a  line, 
and  attached  it  to  a  fly  which  he  had  in  his  pocket- 
book. 

It  was  noon  before  the  workers  saw  him  again. 
They  came  out  of  the  dark  hull  for  a  cold  lunch- 
eon, and  were  joined  by  the  Emperor,  who  sat 
silently  through  the  meal.  Again  they  resumed 
work,  and  this  time  it  was  dusk  when  they 
emerged.  There  before  them  was  a  camp  fire,  and 
studiously  broiling  trout,  caught  with  and  pre- 
pared by  his  own  hands,  was  the  Kaiser.  On 
huge  pieces  of  birch  bark  before  the  coals  he 
had  spread  his  catch,  and  with  a  boy's  jubi- 
lation laughed  at  their  surprise.  His  national 
philosophy  had  conquered,  and  the  sovereign 
had  become  a  democrat  in  truth.  As  a  boy  he 
recounted  his  adventures  of  the  day,  and  as  a 
tired  boy  he  went  to  rest.  The  next  day  was 
given  up  to  the  rifle,  and  hunting  such  as  he  had 
never  dreamed  of  having  was  before  him.  Indeed, 
he  had  turned  camp  hunter,  and  with  success. 
So  ended  the  second  day,  and  so  passed  many 
others. 

And  each  day  brought  him  nearer  to  those 
round  him,  each  night  brought  him  better  rest, 
and  every  hour  added  to  the  broadening  of  his 
serenity.  He  was  now  merely  a  man  among  men, 
playing  his  part  in  his  own  way,  enjoying  it,  and 

299 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

finding  the  worries  of  empire  dropping  away  in 
this  spot  where  all  his  crown  of  rulership  availed 
him  nothing.  What  was  the  need  to  fret  when 
his  hands  were  tied?  Why  not  dismiss  it  all  from 
his  mind?  The  great  federation  would  pass  on 
and  on  long  after  his  bones  had  gone  to  dust. 
Here  in  these  Canadian  woods,  which  he  had 
never  dared  hope  to  invade,  was  life  such  as  he 
had  dreamed  of,  freedom  such  as  he  had  never 
known,  and  absence  of  all  formality.  Here  were 
men  who  were  learning  to  love  him  for  himself, 
and  for  whom  he  was  forming  an  affection  that 
would  last  him  to  the  end. 

Strange  as  it  seemed,  the  cloud  which  had  dis- 
turbed him  on  the  night  of  the  accident  had  taken 
another  form.  Then  it  had  been  because  he  was 
to  be  detained  for  an  indefinite  time.  Now  it  was 
because  the  detention  was  to  be  so  short,  and  he 
saw  with  regret  that  the  time  for  his  departure 
was  nearly  at  hand.  He  foresaw  the  reluctance 
with  which  he  would  enter  that  craft  of  the  air  and 
hear  its  metal  door  close  him  in  for  homeward 
flight,  but  as  a  prison  door  shutting  him  out  for- 
ever from  the  forests  and  hills,  the  pools  and 
brooks,  which  he  had  learned  to  love.  Only  now 
and  then,  as  he  tramped  beside  some  stream  or 
followed  some  game  trail  cut  through  the  fallen 
leaves  by  countless  caribou,  he  would  smile  iron- 
ically at  the  amazement  and  alarm  which  must 

300 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

have  been  caused  by  his  absence,  not  only  in  his 
own  Empire,  but  in  the  United  States  where  were 
those  who  had  caused  his  disappearance. 

And  in  both  surmises  he  was  correct;  but  the 
distress  in  the  American  Republic  was  perhaps 
the  most  keen.  Not  since  the  beginning  of  hos- 
tilities had  the  President  and  his  associates  suf- 
fered such  grave  apprehensions  as  when  it  became 
known  to  a  certainty  that  Brockton's  endeavor 
had  met  with  accident  or  disaster. 

On  the  first  day  when  the  expedition  failed  to 
return  from  its  voyage  of  conciliation  no  undue 
alarm  was  occasioned,  it  being  considered  en- 
tirely possible  that  it  had  been  compelled  to  re- 
turn directly  to  the  key  to  avoid  observation. 
Another  twenty-four  hours  of  silence  caused  com- 
ment; but  again  it  was  regarded  as  tenable  that 
a  barrier  in  the  first  quest  had  required  a  second 
trip.  The  third  day  passed  with  anxious  expecta- 
tions but  no  news.  The  fourth,  however,  was  a 
memorable  one;  for  then  it  became  known  to  the 
entire  civilized  world  that  the  heads  of  a  nation 
had  been  abducted,  and  the  situation  in  Washing- 
ton grew  almost  unbearable. 

In  response  to  an  urgent  message  to  the  plant, 
"Old  Bill"  Roberts,  Norma,  and  Bevins  ap- 
peared on  the  fifth  night,  utilizing  the  new  radio- 
plane  for  their  visit.  The  gravity  of  the  consulta- 
tion which  followed  was  intense;  but  the  faith  of 

301 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

the  inventor  in  his  work  afforded  some  measure 
of  relief. 

"  It  would  be  almost  impossible,"  he  asserted, 
"  for  anything  worse  to  befall  them  than  delay. 
They  may  have  been  cast  away  in  the  air  or  on 
the  land  by  an  accident  to  their  steering  gear, 
which  would  require  flight  in  straight  lines. 
Nothing  but  a  blow  such  as  was  sustained  by 
Seventeen  in  battle  could  even  temporarily  stop 
both  dynamos;  hence  it  is  improbable  that  they 
lost  their  lives." 

Step  by  step  he  reasoned  out  the  course  which 
would  be  pursued,  and  at  last  gave  it  as  his  opin- 
ion that  the  Norma  had  come  to  ground  in  Cana- 
dian woods.  He  suggested  searching  expeditions, 
even  though  it  entailed  the  exposure  of  the  secret, 
the  abandonment  of  the  Oriental  campaign,  and 
the  opportunity  to  establish  permanent  peace. 
The  President  alone  stood  steadfast  for  the  latter 
hope,  and  was  quick  to  offer  a  new  plan.  It  was 
that  the  people  of  Great  Britain  themselves  should 
have  a  conclusive  and  final  demonstration,  and, 
yielding  to  his  arguments,  it  was  agreed  upon. 

The  project  was  no  less  daring  than  those 
which  had  been  executed  before.  The  Dread- 
nought was  to  be  deposited  in  the  Thames  under 
cover  of  darkness,  and  in  an  apparently  impossible 
position,  where  the  people  of  London  might  look 
upon  it  as  an  object  lesson.  Immediately  after- 

302 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

wards  the  King  and  his  most  powerful  officials 
were  to  be  shown  the  working  of  the  radioplane, 
that  they  might  be  in  a  position  to  advance  meas- 
ures for  peace  and  disarmament,  fortifying  their 
arguments  by  their  own  observations.  The  ut- 
most secrecy  was  to  be  maintained,  because  in  the 
meantime  the  Chinese  armada  might  have  sailed. 
In  case  it  had  not,  the  secret  would  be  given  out 
and  search  begun  actively  for  the  missing  Norma 
and  her  distinguished  passengers;  but  in  any 
event  British  support  would  have  been  assured. 

Bevins,  foreseeing  the  difficulty  of  his  task, 
asked  and  obtained  permission  to  invite  the  Brit- 
ish Admiral  to  accompany  him,  the  wisdom  of 
which  was  evidenced  later.  Favored  by  the  dif- 
ference in  time,  the  speedy  Roberts  on  that  very 
night  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  deposited  letters 
to  secret  service  agents  in  London,  instructing 
them  to  obtain  positive  knowledge  of  where  the 
King  might  be  found  the  following  evening.  On 
her  return  she  conveyed  Fields  and  the  Dread- 
nought to  the  key,  preparatory  to  the  momentous 
journey. 

That  flight  which  was  again  to  disturb  the 
thrones  of  Europe  was  accomplished  without  in- 
cident, but  not  without  difficulty.  The  Roberts 
swooped  down  from  the  heights  of  air,  untenanted 
save  by  her,  to  find  spread  between  the  earth  and 
sky  a  blanket  of  fog,  thick  and  impenetrable. 

303 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

Into  it  she  slowly  dropped,  groping  this  way  and 
that  over  the  unsuspecting  city,  whose  sounds 
came  up  to  her  but  gave  no  hint  as  to  locality. 
Aimlessly  she  wandered  here  and  there  in  the 
murk,  taking  desperate  chances  in  her  quest. 
Suddenly  something  loomed  directly  below  the 
open  port,  from  which  Bevins  was  leaning  and 
peering  down,  and  only  a  quick  change  of  course 
avoided  a  collision.  Fields  joined  him,  and  iden- 
tified the  dome  of  Saint  Paul's.  It  was  a  narrow 
escape,  but  enabled  them  to  set  their  course  and 
gain  the  deserted  greens  of  Saint  James's  Park, 
where  Bevins  was  lowered  by  ropes  to  the  earth. 
He  stood  for  a  moment  while  the  bulk  of  the 
radioplane  and  the  Dreadnought  which  she  was 
carrying  rose  into  the  air  and  disappeared  from 
view.  He  felt  alone  in  an  unfriendly  city,  but  set 
his  teeth  and  stumbled  out  to  a  street,  where  he 
enlisted  the  services  of  a  constable  and  a  hansom,, 
and  was  conveyed  to  the  Cecil,  whose  lighted 
doors  stared  out  upon  the  fog  washed  courtyard 
leading  from  the  Strand.  His  message  of  the  pre- 
vious night  had  met  with  instant  response,  and  no 
one  would  have  suspected  that  the  two  men  who 
lounged  in  the  hotel  entrance  in  seeming  idle 
conversation,  smoking  and  watching  passersby, 
were  important  agents  in  the  hands  of  fate.  As 
nonchalantly  as  they  had  met  they  parted,  one 
returning  within  doors,  and  the  other  sauntering 

3°4 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

back  to  the  waiting  hansom  which  was  to  convey 
the  Admiral  to  the  Hippodrome  and  a  daring 
audience  with  the  King. 

The  fog  deadened  bells  of  the  ancient  city 
marked  only  an  hour's  time  before  he  had 
emerged  and  returned  to  the  park  entrance, 
where  the  wondering  driver  was  dismissed,  shak- 
ing his  head  and  marveling  at  the  idosyncrasies 
of  the  Americans,  who  seemed  never  to  have  a 
reasonable  destination.  Once  more  the  grim  old 
Admiral  limped  through  the  paths  to  his  rendez- 
vous and  gave  the  whistled  signal  to  his  waiting 
craft,  which  during  his  absence  had  released  its 
burden  near  Westminster  bridge  and  above 
Blackfriars,  where  her  position  would  be  both 
accessible  and  impressive  to  the  people  on  the 
following  morning. 

Up  into  the  air  for  a  short  distance,  then  down 
again  in  hovering  silence,  the  Roberts  went,  and 
landed  her  commander  in  the  garden  behind 
Buckingham.  The  fog  was  no  longer  an  enemy; 
for  now  she  remained  motionless  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  roof  which  had  sheltered  so  many 
Kings  and  Queens.  This  nearness  aided  the  quick 
visit  of  the  British  officer  to  his  sovereign  when 
called,  and  prevented  delay  when  the  monarch 
and  his  companions  appeared  for  their  journey. 
The  fog  had  become  an  ally. 

Those  who  sit  upon  England's  throne  may 
305 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

never  show  surprise, — so  runs  tradition, — but  on 
this  night  an  expression  of  astonishment  burst 
from  one  of  her  sovereigns  as  he  entered  the 
yawning  portal  of  the  strange  machine.  Up  to 
that  moment  neither  he  nor  his  companions  had 
entertained  a  belief  that  the  American  engine  of 
destruction  could  be  other  than  some  powerful, 
speedy,  and  invincible  submarine.  Now  in  the 
cloak  of  fog  and  darkness,  within  sound  of  the 
roar  of  traffic  past  his  palace  gates,  in  the  midst 
of  his  own  garden,  he  found  a  formidable  monster 
with  undreamed-of  might. 

With  his  companions  he  was  ushered  through 
a  shadowy  companionway  without  hearing  the 
stealthy  closing  of  the  port  through  which  he 
came.  Nor  was  he  aware  as  he  entered  the  bril- 
liantly lighted  drawing  room  amidships,  that  al- 
ready he  had  been  lifted  into  the  light  of  the  stars 
and  was  flying  through  space  over  the  Atlantic 
ocean  at  a  speed  of  six  hundred  miles  an  hour.  It 
was  incomprehensible  that  before  his  first  ques- 
tions had  been  answered  the  ribbon  of  the  chan- 
nel had  been  passed  and  Ireland  had  lost  itself 
in  the  eastern  horizon.  Gravely  interested  and 
steadily  courteous,  he  inspected  the  radioplane 
under  the  guidance  of  the  inventor  and  his  daugh- 
ter, who  made  known  to  him  its  capabilities,  and 
it  was  his  own  suggestion  that  the  trip  might  be 
extended  to  the  Chesapeake,  where  the  fleet  of 

306 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

the  Lion  was  moored.  For  once  the  first  Lord 
of  the  Admiralty  showed  eagerness,  and  was  visi- 
bly pleased  when  Bevins  said  there  could  be  no 
objection  to  the  King's  desire. 

Between  the  inventor  and  the  King,  as  they 
sped  westward,  there  was  established  a  friendship. 
Gruff  and  querulous  "  Old  Bill "  Roberts,  demo- 
cratic to  the  core,  and  respecting  men  only  for 
their  real  worth,  found  in  this  quiet,  self  contained 
guest  one  whom  he  could  admire.  And  to  the 
monarch  the  scientist  was  the  most  interesting 
man  he  had  ever  met,  considering  that  his  past 
achievements  had  gained  world  wide  fame,  to  be 
capped  with  the  surprising  creation  of  this  aerial 
masterpiece.  From  time  to  time  he  glanced  at 
the  stately  American  girl,  who  sat  silently  beside 
the  Prime  Minister.  He  found  himself  puzzled  by 
the  brooding  wistfulness  of  her  eyes  and  specu- 
lating as  to  what  yearning  had  mirrored  its  sad- 
ness in  their  depths. 

Not  until  Bevins  had  recounted  the  tale  of  the 
western  battle  did  the  King  realize  that  on  occa- 
sion the  supple  hands  of  the  girl  might  become 
things  of  steel,  and  that  within  her  was  a  soul  of 
flame.  She  begged  permission  to  retire  before 
the  Admiral  had  fairly  begun  his  story,  and  was 
not  there  to  hear  that  stern  old  veteran  of  the  seas 
conclude  with  the  trenchant  statement,  "  It  was 
not  I,  Your  Majesty,  who  won  the  battle  that  day; 

307 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

it  was  that  slip  of  a  girl  who  led  the  cohorts  of  the 
Eagle  down  upon  them.  It  was  she  who  clasped 
the  flag  in  her  arms  when  the  battle  was  done." 

The  men  in  the  room  leaned  forward  in  silence 
when  Bevins  ended.  They  had  been  carried  away 
into  the  realm  of  imagination  to  picture  the  stir- 
ring clash  of  mighty  arms  and  valorous  deeds. 
Before  anyone  could  speak  an  officer  appeared  at 
the  door. 

"  I  have  to  report  that  we  are  above  the  Chesa- 
peake, sir,"  he  said  to  his  superior. 

It  was  the  breaking  of  reverie,  the  sharp  call 
from  the  past  to  the  present,  and  the  King  rose 
expectantly.  The  lights  of  the  Roberts  flashed 
out  and  left  them  in  darkness.  The  ports  below 
opened,  and  they  grouped  themselves  round  them, 
with  night  glasses  tendered  by  their  host. 

The  waning  moon  lighted  up  the  quiet  reaches 
far  beneath,  and  outlined  in  diminutive  spectral 
shapes  the  fleet  of  anchored  ships.  The  great  ma- 
chine swooped  lower  until  they  could  descry  the 
telescoped  funnels,  from  whose  ragged  mouths 
came  no  curl  of  smoke,  and  the  bared  decks  whose 
lengths  were  paced  only  by  men  of  the  watch. 
Aside  from  these  there  was  no  sign  of  life.  A 
mighty  squadron,  bereft  of  power,  floating  on  still 
waters  beneath  a  dying  moon!  If  America  wished 
to  prove  her  supremacy,  the  lesson  was  complete. 
The  royal  shoulders  outlined  against  the  light  of 


HIS     M  A  J  EST  Y'S     VISIT 

the  port  gave  one  great  shudder  of  sorrow,  and 
turned  away.  When  the  shutters  closed  and  the 
lights  returned,  the  King  was  resting  his  brow 
upon  his  hand,  the  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  was 
standing  with  tightly  clasped  hands,  and  the 
Prime  Minister  was  leaning  with  folded  arms 
against  the  polished  frame  of  the  port  through 
which  he  had  viewed  Briton's  vanquished  pride. 

"  If  Your  Majesty  pleases,"  the  voice  of  the 
American  Admiral  broke  into  the  quietude,  "  I 
have  promised  to  land  Miss  Roberts  and  Admiral 
Fields  before  our  return.  With  your  consent  we 
shall  stop  in  the  place  chosen  for  all  our  visits  to 
Washington,  in  the  outskirts." 

The  monarch,  still  thinking  of  the  silent  fleet, 
assented,  and  the  radioplane  swept  downward  at 
a  tangent  to  the  lonely  field.  Again  the  lights 
went  out,  the  port  opened,  and  the  slight  shock 
of  landing  was  felt.  Almost  instantly  a  man  in 
uniform  stood  before  it  and  saluted  the  Admiral, 
who  started  back  in  surprise. 

"  A  message  for  you,  sir,  from  the  President 
and  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  with  requests  that  it 
be  opened  and  read  immediately,"  the  officer  an- 
nounced. 

Bevins  returned  to  the  light  of  the  hood  and 
read: 

"  Kindly  report  to  the  White  House  immedi- 
ately upon  arrival.  In  case  His  Majesty,  the  King 
21  309 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

of  England,  has  returned  with  you,  which  we  ear- 
nestly hope  is  the  case,  present  to  him  the  hearty 
good  will  of  the  President  and  people  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  and  extend  to  him  our 
urgent  invitation  either  to  accompany  you,  with 
those  who  may  be  his  companions,  or  await  the 
return  of  a  committee  of  invitation  and  reception 
which  will  wait  upon  him  as  soon  as  it  becomes 
definitely  known  that  he  is  with  you. 

"  In  case  he  did  not  accompany  you  on  your  re- 
turn, it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  return  to  Lon- 
don at  once,  inviting  him  to  a  conference  of  great 
importance,  which  is  occasioned  by  the  exigencies 
of  events  which  have  taken  place  to-night.  In  any 
case  you  will  report  to  us  immediately  for  instruc- 
tions." 

Puzzled  by  this  explicit  message,  Bevins  paused 
for  a  moment,  with  his  brows  drawn  down  in 
thought,  and  then  returned  to  the  drawing  room, 
where  a  shaded  light  rested  in  the  center  of  the 
table  round  which  his  guests  were  seated.  With 
a  brief  explanation  he  handed  the  order  to  the 
King,  who  calmly  placed  his  glasses  upon  his 
high,  fine  nose,  leaned  across  the  table,  and 
perused  it. 

Everything  of  the  night  was  strange  and  un- 
usual. A  few  hours  ago  he  had  gone  to  a  theater 
to  rest  his  nerves,  and  here  he  was  across  the  At- 
lantic, informally,  and  learning  new  lessons  or 

310 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

receiving  astounding  revelations  with  each  beat 
of  time.  He  had  gone  thus  far,  and  would  go 
through  to  the  end,  and  would  go  informally. 

"  We  prefer  to  accompany  you,"  was  all  the 
reply  he  made,  and  the  party  filed  out  into  the 
night,  where  two  big  automobiles  brought  for 
this  very  emergency  were  in  waiting.  They 
whirled  away  to  the  White  House,  where  they 
were  met  in  the  Blue  room  by  the  President  and 
his  immediate  advisers.  The  King  himself  estab- 
lished the  basis  of  etiquette  by  extending  his  hand 
to  the  President  and  his  companions.  He  as- 
sumed no  deportment  of  royalty;  but  as  the  first 
gentleman  of  England  greeted  the  first  gentle- 
man of  America. 

"Your  Majesty,"  the  President  began,  "the 
time  is  at  hand  when  the  United  States  has  no 
further  object  in  concealing  the  power  at  her  com- 
mand; the  sole  cause  of  concealment,  that  of 
meeting  the  Chinese  fleet,  having  been  nullified 
by  the  action  of  that  country  itself.  China  has 
broken  her  alliance  with  Japan,  is  ready  to  make 
such  overtures  as  we  wish  for  peace,  and  is  dis- 
persing her  fleet." 

The  President  paused  for  a  moment,  and 
looked  at  those  around  him.  The  King,  steadily 
watching  him,  was  impressed  with  his  simple  dig- 
nity, and  read  aright  the  great  and  high  purpose 
that  shone  in  his  eyes.  Once  more  he  resumed: 

3" 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

"  It  has  come  to  this  issue,  Your  Majesty,  much 
sooner  than  I  had  expected;  but  events  which 
make  for  war  and  peace  move  fast.  They  are  in 
the  hands  of  God  Almighty,  and  not  of  rulers.  I 
desired  this  interview,  because  you  can  assist  me 
in  what  I  have  to  do,  and  for  which  I  believe  I  am 
a  mere  instrument  in  the  hands  of  a  Power  before 
whom  all  must  bow." 

"  And  I  am  honored/'  the  sovereign  instantly 
responded. 

With  his  officials  he  was  conducted  to  the  Presi- 
dent's private  apartments,  where  they  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  Secretary  of  State  and  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy. 

The  King  looked  round  the  room,  which  he  had 
entered  on  but  one  other  occasion,  long  years  be- 
fore, when  as  a  Prince  and  without  hope  of  a 
throne  he  had  been  received  by  a  former  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  How  many  men  had 
occupied  it  since  then,  and  how  few  of  them  had 
left  any  great  individual  mark  on  the  world's  his- 
tory! Was  this  man  before  him  to  prove  greater 
than  any  since  that  immortal  Lincoln  who  had 
fearlessly  branded  the  trail  of  freedom  across  his 
country?  He  took  the  proffered  seat  and  waited 
for  the  President  to  speak,  only  half  comprehend- 
ing that  he  was  entering  upon  one  of  the  most 
important  conferences  that  the  world  had  ever 
known. 

312 


HIS     MAJESTY'S     VISIT 

"  Your  Majesty  and  gentlemen,"  the  President 
began  in  his  low,  finely  modulated  voice,  "  I  told 
you  I  wished  your  assistance.  I  need  more  than 
that;  I  want  your  advice.  I  have  been  a  man  with 
a  dream,  and  that  you  may  know  how  much  it 
has  meant  to  me,  I  must  tell  you  something  of 
myself.  I  come  of  a  race  that  for  generations  has 
given  its  blood  for  country.  It  was  almost  oblit- 
erated in  the  wars  of  the  Revolution  and  of  1812. 
In  the  great  rebellion  there  were  five  men  in  my 
family,  a  father  and  four  older  brothers,  the 
youngest  a  mere  lad,  who  went  to  war  as  volun- 
teers. Some  of  them  never  returned.  My  father 
was  brought  back  shattered  by  barbarism  to  die 
in  my  mother's  arms.  The  lad  that  had  gone  out 
with  his  drum  came  back  to  drag  out  only  a  few 
wretched  months  of  suffering. 

"  My  home  was  on  the  borderland,  where  men 
fought  backward  and  forward  across  our  fields." 
He  paused  for  a  moment  as  if  the  memory  of  his 
childhood  was  too  bitter  for  recapitulation,  then 
went  bravely  on:  "  In  those  years  the  sight  of 
ghastly  wounds  and  cruel  death  was  before  me 
sometimes  daily,  but  never  far  removed.  When 
peace  came  there  was  nothing  left  to  my  mother 
but  her  ravaged  farm,  her  bitter  poverty,  and  her 
one  boy.  Oh,  it  was  a  nightmare,  gentlemen,  that 
never  dimmed.  It  was  a  memory  that  never  left 
me,  as,  hard  working,  poorly  clad  and  sometimes 

313 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

hungry,  I  grew  to  manhood.  My  mother  went,  as 
did  thousands  of  other  widows  made  by  war,  to 
an  early  grave,  prematurely  worn  out  by  work  and 
grief/' 

The  floodgates  were  down  at  last.  His  repres- 
sion was  going,  and  he  rose  to  his  feet  behind  his 
desk  trembling  in  every  fiber,  and  with  white, 
quivering  lips.  In  the  stillness  of  the  room  he 
stood  thus  for  an  instant;  then  his  teeth  suddenly 
came  together  with  a  click  and  his  fist  came  down 
upon  the  table  in  one  quick,  hard  blow  of  em- 
phasis. 

"  Do  you  wonder,"  he  said,  "  that  I  swore  to 
give  my  life  to  peace?  Is  it  strange  that  I  who 
have  suffered  have  taken  unusual  means  to  keep 
others  from  suffering  as  I  and  mine  have?  I  have 
invited  you  here  not  as  the  President  of  a  nation, 
but  as  man  to  men  to  help  me  put — an — end — to 
—war!" 

Every  word  of  his  final  declaration  was  bitten 
off  with  sharp  emphasis  and  accentuated  by  a  fist 
which  beat  time.  The  King  was  suddenly  con- 
scious that  he  had  leaned  forward  in  his  chair  so 
far  that  nothing  but  the  tense  grip  of  his  hands 
upon  the  arms  had  held  him  down.  In  all  his 
years  he  had  witnessed  no  such  scene  of  emotion 
as  this,  nor  heard  a  more  earnest  appeal. 

The  President,  as  if  regretting  his  lack  of  con- 
trol, settled  wearily  into  his  seat.  He  had  said 

3H 


HIS    MAJESTY'S    VISIT 

things  in  a  way  that  in  any  other  man  would  have 
been  undignified;  but  he,  inspired  by  the  grandeur 
of  his  purpose,  failed  to  realize  that  an  angel  with 
a  flaming  sword  could  scarcely  have  been  more 
impressive.  He  had  been  addressing  no  ordinary 
audience.  Before  him  was  an  august  ruler,  but 
more  than  that,  a  great  man.  And  in  the  hush 
which  followed,  the  sovereign  rose  from  his  seat, 
stepped  across  to  the  desk,  and  for  one  of  the  few 
times  in  his  life  gave  untrammeled  vent  to  his 
feelings  as  a  man.  He  put  his  hand  out  across 
the  polished  mahogany  top  as  the  tall  form  of  the 
President  straightened  up.  Their  hands  met  in 
one  strong  grip  of  understanding,  and  they  looked 
squarely  into  each  other's  eyes,  reading,  compre- 
hending, and  binding  themselves  together  in  a 
common  purpose  for  humanity. 

It  was  not  the  etiquette  which  demands  that  all 
men  shall  stand  when  a  King  is  on  his  feet  that 
brought  the  others  from  their  chairs,  erect,  breath- 
less, and  motionless.  It  was  rather  the  impulsive 
respect  and  veneration  due  to  two  great  minds 
which  before  their  very  eyes  were  entering  an  un- 
written compact  for  a  high  and  noble  cause. 

Once  more  they  took  their  seats;  but  now  by 
the  subtle  alchemy  of  humanity  they  drew  their 
chairs  together.  They  were  no  longer  rulers  and 
subjects,  Englishmen  and  Americans,  but  men 
inspired  with  magnanimity  toward  all  their  fellow 

315 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

beings.  They  were  on  a  Godlike  plane  reasoning 
out  momentous  plans  involving  the  nations  of  the 
world  and  all  mankind.  From  their  combined 
fund  of  knowledge  they  evolved  methods  which 
were  to  strengthen  the  weak  and  put  in  leash  the 
strong.  All  reckoning  of  time  was  lost  in  this 
review  of  what  had  been  accomplished  and  what 
was  to  be  done. 

The  night  paled,  the  sun  crept  up;  the  lights  of 
the  darkness  were  extinguished,  and  the  day  ad- 
vanced without  their  heeding  it.  The  last  tenta- 
tive clause  was  signed,  and  each  knew  the  part 
which  his  country  must  play.  Again  they  were 
all  upon  their  feet,  looking  into  one  another's 
faces  and  abruptly  conscious  of  weariness  and  re- 
laxation. Too  overcome  to  resume  their  home- 
ward journey,  the  visitors  accepted  the  hospitality 
of  the  White  House  for  a  few  hours'  rest,  and 
staggered  to  their  rooms. 

Once,  more  than  a  hundred  years  before,  an 
unwise  King  had  caused  a  war  between  brothers 
which  had  sent  them  on  diverse  paths.  Each  had 
prospered  but  held  aloof.  And  now  after  all  this 
time  a  wiser  King  had  proffered  his  hand,  and  the 
brothers  were  to  be  friends  again  in  truth,  and 
were  to  travel  side  by  side  unto  the  end. 


CHAPTER   X 

LIGHTS   IN    THE    NIGHT 

'HAT  night  for  the  first  time  a  radio- 
plane  flew  through  the  air  from 
Washington  to  New  York,  where  it 
came  to  earth  in  a  portion  of  Cen- 
tral Park  adjacent  to  one  of  the  most  exclusive 
hotels.  It  was  not  late  in  the  evening;  but  while 
it  did  not  court  discovery  neither  did  it  use  any 
great  endeavor  to  avoid  it.  Those  aboard  had 
only  one  wish,  which  was  to  avoid  the  gathering 
of  a  crowd.  The  machine  was  the  Roberts,  con- 
veying the  King  and  his  counselors  for  a  short 
interview  with  the  higher  officers  of  the  British 
fleet.  They  had  bade  good  by  to  the  man  in  the 
White  House,  who  was  henceforth  to  hold  a  place 
in  their  strongest  admiration  and  friendship,  and 
were  now  preparing  for  their  homeward  journey. 
The  park  entrances  had  been  closed  in  advance, 
and  the  public  debarred  from  its  paths,  hence 
there  was  no  demonstration  when  the  party 
stepped  out  of  the  craft  and  took  seats  in  a  motor 
car  which  had  been  awaiting  their  arrival.  Only 
the  Secretary  of  State  and  Bevins  accompanied 

317 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

them  as  escorts  to  the  glaring  entrance  of  the 
hotel,  and  even  the  august  clerks  were  unaware 
of  the  identity  of  their  visitors.  With  polite  inso- 
lence the  party  was  directed  to  a  parlor  until  the 
manager  could  be  summoned,  and  he  on  being  in- 
formed that  the  King  wished  to  meet  his  officers 
at  once,  conducted  them  to  the  elevator  which 
carried  them  upward. 

By  requisition  of  the  Government  the  entire  top 
floor  had  been  given  up  to  the  accommodation  of 
the  British  guests,  and  with  them  on  this  night 
as  entertainers  were  many  of  the  higher  officers 
of  the  American  navy  who  throughout  the  war 
had  been  forced  to  rest  in  idleness.  The  realiza- 
tion that  their  days  of  seafaring  were  nearly  at  an 
end  had  not  come  to  them  with  full  force,  and  all 
within  the  extemporized  naval  club  were  simply 
awaiting  and  hoping  for  orders  which  would  put 
an  end  to  inactivity. 

Beneath  the  shaded  lights  of  the  ceiling  were 
many  tables,  at  some  of  which  men  in  fatigue  uni- 
forms were  being  initiated  into  an  American  game 
which  seemed  to  find  favor,  while  at  others  spir- 
ited discussions  were  being  held.  Wreaths  of 
smoke  curling  up  to  meet  the  lights  added  to  the 
air  of  informality,  and  a  burst  of  laughter  in  one 
corner  of  the  room  indicated  the  success  of  some 
raconteur.  The  door  swung  open  noiselessly,  and 
on  its  threshold  stood  one  who  looked  smilingly 

318 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

at  the  idle  veterans  of  two  nations.  He  stood 
thus  for  an  instant  before  the  crusty  old  Scotch 
Admiral  known  to  his  fellows  as  "  Jimmy  "  Barr 
lifted  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  door.  His 
mouth  opened  in  astonishment  beneath  its  beard- 
ing of  red,  and  his  sharp  eyes  frowned  as  he  peered 
across  the  shoulder  of  the  man  opposite,  and  then, 
with  one  hurried  leap  he  gained  his  feet,  upsetting 
his  chair  in  his  haste.  His  heels  came  together, 
and  his  arm  was  raised  in  salute  as  he  exclaimed 
loudly: 

"  Gentlemen,  the  King!" 

Instantly  those  in  the  room  looked  at  the  Ad- 
miral and  then  at  the  entrance.  There  was  the 
muffled  sound  of  chairs  hastily  shoved  across  the 
carpeted  floor,  startled  exclamations,  and  a  hur- 
ried rising.  Two  score  of  hands  came  to  the 
salute,  and  a  dramatic  moment  followed  in  which 
their  owners  strove  to  gather  their  wits.  It  was 
almost  unbelievable  that  their  sovereign  was  be- 
fore them. 

The  King  looked  at  them  gravely,  and  then 
took  a  few  steps  forward,  and  his  companions  fol- 
lowed. He  stopped  almost  in  front  of  Barr,  and 
slowly  raised  his  hand,  with  open  fingers  in  a 
gesture  which  combined  greeting  and  a  demand 
for  attention.  He  wasted  neither  time  nor  words. 

"  My  men,"  he  said,  "  I  have  come  from  a  con- 
ference with  His  Excellency,  the  President  of  the 

319 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

United  States.  Its  results  will  be  made  known  to 
you  within  the  course  of  a  few  days  at  the  most, 
or  hours  at  the  least.  I  have  come  to  say  to  you 
that  in  submitting  yourselves  to  an  invincible 
power  for  reasons  which  you  could  not  fathom 
you  acted  wisely  and  now  have  our  full  approval." 

The  British  officers  exchanged  quick  side 
glances  of  relief.  Barr  alone  had  the  temerity  to 
break  into  an  open  smile  of  satisfaction.  They 
were  not,  then,  to  be  censured  by  their  country, 
and  the  situation  would  bear  no  disgrace.  His 
Majesty  continued: 

'  You  have  unwittingly  assisted  in  reuniting 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  I  hope,  after  its  separation 
of  nearly  a  century  and  a  half.  You  have  been 
made  involuntary  guests  by  a  man  whose  friend- 
ship I  esteem,  and  whom  I  honor  above  all  men. 
I  refer  to  the  President  of  this  nation,  and  I  ask 
that  you  remember  him  as  kindly  as  I  do.  Your 
countrymen  will  have  no  just  cause  for  criticising 
you  or  your  actions.  Instructions  will  be  sent 
you  in  due  time  through  the  Admiralty.  Until 
then  you  are  to  maintain  patience.  I  wish  you 
good  night." 

With  dignified  grace  he  bowed  to  them,  took  a 
step  backward,  turned  on  his  heel,  and  was  going 
before  they  grasped  the  significance  of  his  speech 
or  awakened  from  the  wonder  of  his  unexpected 
visit  to  this  alien  land.  The  clang  of  an  elevator 

320 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

door  recalled  them  and  stirred  them  to  action. 
They  ran  after  him,  rang  for  and  surged  into  the 
elevators,  to  debouch  on  the  street  a  minute  later 
a  group  of  hatless  men  craving  further  explana- 
tions and  wishing  to  honor  their  ruler.  They 
crowded  to  the  edge  of  the  pavement  beside  which 
the  motor  car  was  humming  in  readiness  for  its 
start. 

The  King  saw  them  coming,  smiled  at  their 
eagerness,  and  turned  to  Bevins  with  a  question 
which  they  could  not  hear.  The  American  Ad- 
miral gave  a  laughing  reply,  and  the  monarch 
leaned  over  to  Jimmy  Barr,  who  was  standing  on 
the  curb  close  at  hand. 

"  My  host,  the  Admiral,"  the  King  said,  "  says 
lack  of  time  prevents  your  accompanying  us. 
Otherwise  we  should  ask  you  to  witness  our  em- 
barkation. We  are  returning  to  London  on  a 
radioplane  to-night,  and  the  world's  mystery  is  at 
an  end.  We  must  say  good  night." 

The  lights  of  the  hotel  entrance  were  fujl  upon 
them,  bringing  out  in  detail  to  the  curious  guests 
who  were  gathering  on  the  marble  steps  the  men 
with  bared  heads  and  the  gray  bearded  English 
gentleman  in  the  machine.  They  saw  him  nod  to 
the  chauffeur,  who  was  looking  back,  saw  the  lat- 
ter turn  to  his  work,  and  then  the  machine  leaped 
away  into  the  broad  drive  toward  the  nearest  park 
entrance.  And  to  the  amazement  of  the  onlook- 

321 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ers  the  men  in  uniform  stood  at  salute  until  the 
machine  had  disappeared.  Not  even  then  did 
they  disperse,  but  stood  there  silently  watching 
the  skies.  Pedestrians  joined  the  group,  specu- 
lating as  to  the  cause  of  this  uniformed  gath- 
ering. 

Several  minutes  elapsed,  and  then  from  one  and 
another  came  startled  exclamations.  Up  from  the 
silent  park,  soaring  above  the  trees  and  shrubbery 
with  stately  sweep,  came  a  strange  row  of  brilliant 
lights.  The  secret  was  out  at  last,  and  the 
American  officers  gave  a  frantic  cheer,  which  was 
joined  in  by  the  Englishmen,  and  taken  up  by  the 
crowd.  As  if  to  recognize  their  parting  shouts, 
the  searchlights  of  the  Roberts  in  dazzling  ripples 
of  color  flared  suddenly  upward  and  round  in  fan 
shaped  sweeps,  which  were  finally  directed  full 
upon  the  streets  below.  At  a  comparatively  low 
altitude  the  craft  went  slowly  across  the  city  and 
headed  toward  the  Atlantic,  while  men  upon  the 
pavements  beneath  took  up  the  cry,  until  from  all 
sides  windows  opened  and  the  people  rushed  into 
the  streets  for  a  sight  of  this  mysterious  aerial 
visitor.  Reaching  the  lower  edge  of  the  city,  the 
radioplane  shot  up  and  up  until  it  was  a  speck  of 
light  against  the  stars,  took  one  last  circling 
flight,  and  with  marvelous  speed  disappeared  in 
the  east.  And  while  America  was  gaining  her  first 
knowledge  of  this  incredible  flying  machine,  the 

322 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

Roberts  was  shooting  away  in  a  long  straight 
track  for  the  Old  World. 

The  King  had  watched  the  sights  below  as  long 
as  they  were  visible.  Through  his  glasses  he  had 
seen  the  streets  become  filled  with  excited  men, 
women,  and  children,  and  their  shoutings  had 
come  to  him  faintly  above  the  hum  of  the  dyna- 
mos. The  glimmerings  of  the  great  harbor 
dimmed  and  died  away,  and  here  and  there  could 
be  descried  the  lights  of  the  slow  steaming  patrol 
ships  keeping  the  outpost  watch  upon  the  sea. 
When  the  last  sign  of  life  had  vanished,  he  turned 
to  his  companions  in  silence,  thinking  of  all  that 
had  taken  place  within  the  few  recent  hours. 

Only  a  short  time  ago  they  had  entered  this 
aerial  chamber,  standing  in  dread  of  the  unknown 
terror  of  the  waters  and  the  menacing  silence  of 
this  western  continent  they  were  leaving  behind. 
Only  a  few  hours  past  they  had  trembled  at  the 
powerlessness  of  their  nation  and  shudderingly 
awaited  the  shock  of  invasion. 

Now  they  were  going  back  to  England  bearing 
news  that  would  upset  old  ideas,  remove  all  fear 
for  the  future,  and  ally  her  with  the  most  powerful 
nation  history  had  ever  known.  They  had  sailed 
away  furtively  with  darkened  ports,  and  were  now 
returning  in  a  glare  of  white  light,  careless  of 
who  might  observe.  Events  had  followed  each 
other  in  such  remarkable  sequence,  with  such  as- 

323 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

tounding  rapidity,  that  it  wearied  the  mind  to  fol- 
low them.  The  King  was  pondering  over  the  new 
situation  when  with  no  preliminary  notice  every 
light  in  the  radioplane  went  out  and  they  were 
left  in  darkness. 

From  without  and  through  the  open  door  came 
the  voices  of  the  Admiral  and  engineer  in  conver- 
sation: 

"  It  can't  be  an  enemy." 

"  Hardly;  but  we  dare  take  no  chances." 

11  What  do  you  think  it  is?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  A  minute  or  two  will  tell  if 
they  have  seen  us." 

The  King  and  his  countrymen  fumbled  for  their 
glasses  in  the  darkness,  found  them,  and  lined 
themselves  up  against  the  transparent  port  which 
had  not  been  closed.  The  cause  of  the  sudden 
cautionary  measures  was  apparent.  There,  com- 
paratively far  away,  and  high  up  against  the  star- 
lit sky,  they  saw  the  blazing  line  of  a  searchlight 
thrust  up  into  the  darkness.  It  wavered  uncer- 
tainly for  an  instant,  and  then  slowly,  as  if  feeling 
its  way,  approached  them.  It  seemed  uncertain 
and  for  a  moment  disappeared.  Their  own  ma- 
chine had  come  to  a  halt. 

For  an  instant  nothing  was  visible,  and  then 
there  leaped  into  the  air  a  vertical  beam  of  red. 
Beside  it  came  another  steady  ray  of  brilliant 
white,  and  then  to  complete  the  color  trio  a  vivid 

324 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

shaft  of  blue  arrayed  itself  beside  the  other  two. 
Outside  in  the  hood  they  heard  a  wild  unre- 
strained burst  of  cheering,  and  the  cabin  was 
again  flooded  with  light.  The  old  Admiral 
"V  stepped  hurriedly  in,  his  face  aglow,  and  his  cap 
in  his  hand. 

"  We  have  sighted  the  Norma,  Your  Majesty, 
the  craft  which  disappeared  with  His  Imperial 
Majesty,  the  Emperor  of  Germany." 

Before  he  had  finished  speaking  the  signal  call- 
ing hearers  to  the  wireless  telephone  buzzed  in- 
sistently, and  he  turned  to  answer.  From  the 
dome  above  they  could  see  answering  lights  play- 
ing rapidly  from  their  own  craft.  They  heard 
Bevins  talking  to  some  one  excitedly,  and  peering 
once  more  through  the  side  ports  saw  they  were 
rushing  onward  to  meet  this  other  traveler  of  the 
spaces.  With  decreasing  speed  the  two  ap- 
proached each  other,  retaining  their  altitude  high 
above  and  beyond  sound  of  the  sea.  Now  they 
were  floating  abreast,  and  finally,  after  a  moment's 
tensity,  they  came  to  a  stop.  Their  metal  sides 
.came  together  with  an  almost  imperceptible  jar, 
and  they  adjusted  themselves  for  further  commu- 
nication. 

Simultaneously  their  great  ports  slid  open,  and 

the  King,  who  had  gone  to  the  companionway, 

saw  the  interior  of  the  other  radioplane.     Bevins 

and  Brockton  in  delight  were  shaking  hands  and 

22  325 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

congratulating  each  other.  They  talked  for  a 
moment,  and  then  the  Rear  Admiral  retired  from 
view.  Bevins  turned  to  the  King  and  said:  "  Your 
Majesty,  the  Emperor  of  Germany  wishes  to  come 
aboard." 

Before  the  King  could  give  his  assent  the  sol- 
dierly form  of  the  Kaiser  appeared  outlined  in  the 
light  of  his  own  port,  took  a  cautious  step  across 
the  threshold,  and  stood  before  the  men  of  Eng- 
land. Whatever  doubts  he  may  have  had  of  his 
reception  were  set  aside  by  the  hands  outstretched 
to  receive  him  and  the  words  of  welcome  which 
the  King  hastened  to  give  him.  The  bulky  form 
of  the  Chancellor  came  behind,  and  then,  con- 
ducted by  the  King,  they  turned  and  entered  the 
cabin.  Brockton  and  Bevins  brought  up  the  rear. 
At  one  end  of  the  table  stood  the  American  Sec- 
retary of  State,  and  beside  him  were  the  Prime 
Minister  of  England  and  the  Lord  of  the  Admi- 
ralty. The  Chancellor  ponderously  edged  his  way 
forward  until  he  was  near  them,  leaving  the  King 
and  his  imperial  nephew  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  table. 

The  visitors  greeted  and  were  presented  to  the 
others,  and  then,  for  the  fraction  of  a  minute,  they 
all  stood  confronting  and  expectant  until  the 
King  with  his  usual  tact  put  an  abrupt  end  to  the 
restraint  by  inviting  all  to  be  seated,  and  asking 
for  an  explanation  of  the  accident.  The  Kaiser 

326 


"  The  soldierly  form  of  the  Kaiser  appeared." 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

curbed  his  anxiety  for  news  of  developments,  and 
briefly  recounted  his  adventure,  appealing  now 
and  then  to  Brockton  for  details  which  he  did  not 
understand.  He  concluded,  and  hesitated  for  an 
instant  in  embarrassed  silence.  Before  he  could 
formulate  the  opening  question  in  a  delicate  sub- 
ject the  King  had  again  stepped  into  the  breech. 

"  The  world  will  soon  be  at  peace,"  he  said 
meaningly,  looking  at  his  kinsman.  "  We  have 
come  from  a  meeting  in  America  with  the  man 
who  has  so  decreed  it,  and  I  have  had  the  honor 
of  joining  with  him  in  plans  for  the  future." 

"  And  Germany?  " 

"  Will  be  glad." 

"  But  her  allotment?  " 

"  The  privilege  of  being  one  of  the  foremost  in 
the  movement." 

"  With  dignity  and  honor?  " 

"  Yes,  and  with  an  opportunity  to  play  her  part 
voluntarily." 

England's  King,  grave  and  gray,  and  reading 
men  from  the  serene  heights  of  long  life  and  phi- 
losophy, had  expected  a  tempestuous  outburst; 
but  to  his  contentment  none  came.  He  studied 
the  face  of  the  ruler  who  had  gained  a  world  wide 
reputation  for  warlike  ambitions  and  constant 
truculence,  whose  mailed  fist  had  long  been 
clenched  in  readiness  for  a  blow,  and  was  sur- 
prised. No  sign  of  storm  was  apparent,  but  in- 

327 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

stead  a  calm  and  placid  pair  of  eyes  stared  back 
at  him. 

In  rapid  sentences  he  told  of  the  President's  de- 
sign, which  Great  Britain  would  accept  and  which 
she  had  helped  outline  in  detail,  and  closed  by 
predicting  the  results  which  would  follow.  He 
talked  low  and  earnestly,  leaning  his  elbows  on 
the  table  before  him  and  addressing  himself  only 
to  the  Emperor.  His  summary  concluded,  he 
straightened  back  into  the  hollow  of  his  chair  and 
waited  for  the  others  to  speak. 

The  Chancellor,  who  had  been  so  intent  that  he 
had  never  changed  attitude  or  expression,  shifted 
his  gaze  from  the  King  to  his  sovereign,  who  for 
a  time  sat  wrapped  in  thought.  As  if  he  had  come 
to  a  quick  conclusion,  he  looked  up  and  in  three 
words  expressed  his  views.  "  It  seems  perfect," 
he  said.  The  Chancellor  smiled,  the  King  looked 
satisfied,  and  the  Prime  Minister  with  a  sigh  of 
relief  gave  a  quick  sidelong  glance  at  the  Ameri- 
can Secretary  of  State.  The  Lord  of  the  Admi- 
ralty was  rubbing  his  hands. 

"  Germany  asks  nothing  more  than  fairness," 
the  Emperor  said,  "  and  I  think  she  will  gladly  ac- 
cept and  enter  into  the  conclave.  It  will  upset 
her  more  than  any  other  nation  perhaps,  because 
she  is  founded  on  military  form;  but  the  whole 
world  shall  understand  that  she  permits  no  nation, 
race,  or  people  to  go  beyond  her  in  enlightened 

328 


LIGHTS     IN     THE     NIGHT 

methods/'  His  stern  expression  changed  to  one 
of  warmth.  He  smiled  at  some  thought  of  his 
own  and  continued: 

"  We  all  change,  I  suppose,  as  we  advance.  I 
have  learned  that  one  may  have  his  ideas  enlarged 
by  accident.  I  have  known  for  many  days  what  it 
is  to  be  free  to  think,  to  learn  profound  lessons  in 
philosophy  from  the  forests  and  streams,  and  have 
come  nearer  to  men  of  the  American  nation  than 
I  had  ever  hoped.  I  have  formed  new  friendships, 
and  by  the  camp  fires  at  night  have  been  given 
other  views  of  life,  of  men  and  humanity,  by  a 
most  admirable  teacher." 

He  nodded  his  head  toward  Brockton,  paused 
for  a  moment  and  then  laughed  aloud.  "  I  caught 
a  trout  that  weighed  nearly  four  pounds  and  shot 
four  caribou!"  he  chuckled. 

At  this  incongruous  termination  of  his  speech 
his  hearers  gasped,  and  then  waited  for  him  to 
continue,  which  he  did  in  humorous  vein,  inter- 
spersed with  comments  of  graver  trend.  And  in 
this  recountal  of  adventure  they  read  of  his  broad- 
ening. By  suggestion  he  conveyed  to  them  that 
he  had  gone  away  on  a  strange  journey  wrapped 
in  the  cares  and  dignities  of  position  to  be  taught 
many  lessons  in  democracy. 

He  had  worked  with  his  hands,  shared  the  an- 
noyances of  his  companions,  and  known  the  joys 
of  independence  and  self  support.  He  had  discov- 

329 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

ered  the  trappings  of  courts  to  be  shallow  em- 
blems and  tawdry  when  contrasted  with  the  true 
coats  of  primitive  nature.  He  had  learned  that 
men  when  stripped  of  outward  rank  and  position 
were  very  similar,  and  could  demand  only  such 
respect  from  their  fellows  as  they  were  entitled  to 
by  merit.  Honest  companionship  which  sought 
no  other  return  was  a  priceless  treasure.  And 
now  with  this  new  view  of  life,  stronger  in  health 
and  unjaundiced  in  mind,  he  was  glad  to  ally  him- 
self and  his  Empire  in  a  movement  which  prom- 
ised advancement  without  conquest  and  gain 
without  aggression.  The  drums  of  war  sounded 
very  hollow,  and  their  unmusical  beatings  were 
dying  away  in  the  distance,  going  to  inglorious 
silence  and  disuse.  It  was  better  so! 

In  response  to  an  order  from  Bevins,  a  servant 
with  noiseless  feet  and  deft  hands  brought  refresh- 
ments to  them.  The  King  rose,  and  the  others 
immediately  stood. 

"  Before  we  part  company  and  resume  our  way 
to  our  homes,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  ask  you  to  drink 
my  toast."  He  stood  erect,  lifted  his  glass  high 
in  the  air  until  the  lights  above  caught  the  quiv- 
ering opalescent  liquid  in  their  rays,  and  then  in 
a  voice  of  extreme  reverence  said: 

"  Gentlemen,  to  the  ruler  of  that  greatest  of  all 
kingdoms,  Peace,  His  Excellency  the  President  of 
the  United  States." 

330 


CHAPTER    XI 

PEACE   IS   DECLARED 

HE  world  had  become  an  instrument 
attuned  to  the  breaking  pitch,  and 
awoke  to  have  every  string  within 
it  played  upon  in  a  day.  It  was  a 
royal  tune  in  which  city  after  city  was  called  upon 
to  contribute.  London,  which  had  passed  a  sleep- 
less night,  was  astir  before  dawn,  aroused  into  a 
pitch  of  terrific  excitement  by  the  return  of  the 
Roberts,  which  swooped  down  from  the  air  aglow 
with  light,  and  courting  notice. 

At  the  iron  gates  in  front  of  the  palace,  where 
the  sentries  were  briskly  tramping  to  and  fro  until 
called  together  by  the  descent  of  the  radioplane, 
the  Roberts  came  to  the  ground  with  every 
searchlight  playing  into  the  air.  The  alarm  had 
been  given  before  she  came,  and  guards  were 
turning  out  from  their  barracks  and  hurrying  to 
the  palace  on  the  run,  with  arms  in  hand  to  defend 
Buckingham  from  the  oncoming  monster.  Not 
until  it  was  near  the  ground  was  it  discovered  that 
from  the  peaks  floated  three  flags,  the  Union  Jack, 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  and  the  white  banner  of  truce. 

331 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

In  hasty  formation  the  soldiers  faced  the  place 
where  the  machine  with  its  staring  eyes  would 
alight,  and  rank  on  rank  presented  a  stubborn 
front  to  the  visitor.  Their  astonishment  was  in- 
calculable when  they  recognized  as  the  first  man 
to  emerge  from  the  side  of  this  unexpected  craft 
the  missing  King,  followed  by  the  Prime  Minister 
and  the  head  of  the  navy,  all  well,  all  smiling,  and 
all  taking  quick  cognizance  of  the  array  of  de- 
fenders. 

The  ranking  officer  of  the  guard  recovered  his 
poise,  gave  the  command,  and  the  soldiers  saluted, 
after  which  he  stepped  forward  in  response  to  the 
King's  beckoning  and  received  instructions  for 
the  safeguarding  of  the  Roberts.  Bevins  and  the 
Secretary  of  State,  as  they  walked  through  the 
iron  gates,  guests  of  the  British  nation,  heard  the 
quick  precise  steps  of  men  marching  to  form  a 
square  round  their  craft,  and  pictured  to  them- 
selves the  curiosity  which  would  be  aroused  when 
the  day  broke. 

Thus  it  was  that  within  an  hour  after  their  ar- 
rival a  crowd  was  collecting  which  outdid  the  one 
that  assembled  to  view  the  Dreadnought  on  the 
day  of  her  return.  The  strange  and  silent  Roberts, 
resting  in  the  roadway  and  floating  the  American 
and  English  flags,  which  had  been  intertwined  by 
the  fingers  of  a  friendly  breeze,  was  of  greater  in- 
terest than  any  other  sight  within  memory.  It 

332 


PEACE     IS     DECLARED 

was  rumored  through  the  throng  that  the  King 
had  returned;  but  the  explanation  of  his  absence 
was  yet  to  come.  For  once  officialdom  did  not 
hesitate,  but  sent  to  the  newspapers  of  the  city  the 
full  account  of  the  visit  to  the  United  States,  to- 
gether with  the  reasons  and  results,  and  also 
the  story  of  the  fleet  which  had  been  given  up 
for  lost.  It  was  intimated  that  the  official  over- 
tures of  the  United  States  would  be  made  known 
at  a  later  hour  of  the  day  through  due  chan- 
nels, and  thus  the  air  was  charged  with  expect- 
ancy. 

In  the  meantime  Berlin  too  had  been  given  its 
time  of  tumult.  The  return  of  the  Emperor  had 
been  no  less  astounding;  but  he  with  character- 
istic energy  had  no  sooner  stepped  within  the 
doors  of  his  palace  than  he  called  his  secretaries 
and  dictated  a  complete  explanation  of  his  own 
disappearance,  together  with  a  statement  of  what 
had  transpired  in  the  United  States  and  a  sum- 
mary of  the  proposals  for  peace  which  had  been 
formulated.  The  Norma  waited  for  a  brief  time 
only,  and  then  in  full  sight  of  an  immense  gather- 
ing of  spectators  turned  her  nose  homeward  to 
carry  her  report  to  Washington. 

This  news  was  cabled  to  London,  where  its  dis- 
semination gave  another  impetus  to  speculation, 
and  before  it  had  subsided  the  world's  cables  re- 
sumed operations. 

333 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

An  operator  in  a  transatlantic  cable  office,  who 
for  weeks  had  sat  before  his  silent  keys,  saw  a  livid 
signal  flash,  and  sprang  excitedly  to  respond. 
Across  the  depths  of  the  ocean  came  the  words: 

"  All  embargos  are  removed.  The  United 
States  of  America  gives  greeting,  and  reiterates 
the  message  which  was  the  first  to  be  transmitted, 
*  Peace  on  earth.  Good  will  to  men/  ' 

Events  were  now  moving  with  such  prodigious 
rapidity  that  wherever  wires  of  communication 
ran  men  left  their  occupations  and  waited  for 
whatever  other  remarkable  information  might  be 
forthcoming.  For  once  the  nations  seemed  in 
such  close  touch  that  they  reached  out  to  each 
other  to  tell  their  own  part  in  the  unfolding  of  the 
great  mystery.  The  whole  civilized  world  knew 
speedily  that  the  Kaiser  had  been  carried  away  by 
accident,  that  his  health  had  been  improved,  and 
that  he  bore  nothing  but  good  will  toward  his 
captors.  London  transmitted  the  complete  story 
of  the  taking  of  the  British  fleet,  elucidated  the 
Dreadnought's  singular  return,  and  also  made 
known  that  the  King  and  his  associates  had  vis- 
ited and  been  detained  in  Washington  by  their 
own  volition. 

In  the  United  States  the  night  had  passed  with 
most  exceptional  activity.  The  sight  of  the  Rob- 
erts leaving  New  York  had  been  heralded  from 
coast  to  coast,  and  the  administration,  besieged 

334 


PEACE     IS     DECLARED 

for  information,  yielded  to  the  popular  demand 
and  gave  out  the  history  of  the  war,  including  the 
account  of  the  invention  and  the  creation  of  the 
plant  on  the  Florida  key.  The  little  inventor  and 
his  daughter  were  thrown  into  the  limelight,  and 
exaggerated  accounts  of  their  marvelous  work 
were  spread  over  pages  of  extras  wherever  news- 
papers were  printed.  The  public  insistently  clam- 
ored for  news,  more  news,  throughout  the  hours, 
and  seemed  never  satiated. 

All  eyes  were  turned  to  the  President,  who 
finally,  in  desperation,  declined  to  make  any  fur- 
ther statements,  and  announced  that  details 
would  have  to  come  in  later  sequence,  when  time 
could  be  given  to  their  dictation. 

From  the  great  Republic  the  cloak  of  mystery 
and  inaction  was  thrown  aside  and  the  cordons  to 
the  north  and  the  south  were  being  dissipated  as 
if  by  magic.  That  menacing  line  of  blue  along 
the  Canadian  border  was  crumpling  with  greater 
rapidity  than  it  had  been  formed.  Here  and  there 
through  the  air  swept  fifty  radioplanes  carrying 
improvised  passenger  accommodations,  the  sun 
showing  them  as  flashing  birds  of  blue  carrying 
the  hosts  of  the  guard  back  to  their  armories, 
whence  they  might  return  to  their  homes  and  oc- 
cupations of  peace.  In  every  city  throughout  the 
land  astonished  and  exultant  inhabitants  watched 
these  friendly  monsters  which  had  made  the  na- 

335 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

tion  the  most  redoubtable  in  all  the  world.  The 
guns  of  the  border  were  now  standing  unguarded, 
the  bivouacs  obliterated,  and  the  paths  of  the  sen- 
tries abandoned  to  the  effacement  of  nature's 
kindly  growth. 

Seattle  was  at  last  liberated,  and  proceeded  to 
astonish  the  world  with  accounts  of  the  imprison- 
ment of  the  Japanese  fleet  which  had  rested  in  the 
waters  of  Lake  Washington  for  so  many  days. 
Photographs  of  it  were  sent  broadcast,  together 
with  interviews  gained  from  the  commanders  of 
the  hapless  expedition,  and  by  special  permission 
Admiral  Kamigawa  was  allowed  to  cable  to  his 
Government  the  first  full  report  of  his  disaster 
which  went  through  uncensored  and  unchecked. 
The  fact  was  made  patent  to  Japan  that  her  men 
were  prisoners  on  parole,  her  ships  trapped  in  a 
helpless  position,  and  their  fate  resting  entirely 
on  the  mercy  of  the  Government. 

As  if  to  add  the  proof  of  helplessness,  Tokio 
learned  of  the  detention  of  the  British  ships,  and 
knew  that  any  or  all  alliances  could  not  be  de- 
pended upon  in  the  presence  of  such  might  as  the 
Americans  could  bring  to  bear. 

Another  day  dawned  in  Washington,  bringing 
with  it  the  unconditional  capitulation  of  Japan. 
She  appealed  for  peace  with  dignity,  and  left  the 
suggestion  of  terms  to  the  nation  with  whom 
none  might  dispute,  trusting  to  her  magnanimity. 

336 


PEACE      IS     DECLARED 

Congress  had  been  called  into  being  again,  and, 
imbued  with  the  spirit  which  had  actuated  the 
President  through  all  his  siege  of  stress  and  trial, 
followed  his  wishes.  The  lone  man  in  the  White 
House  loomed  as  something  more  than  mortal, 
and  was  at  last  being  appreciated. 

Japan  was  told  that  the  United  States  de- 
manded neither  indemnities  nor  retention  of  the 
conquered  fleet.  For  the  benefit  of  the  public  the 
latter  would  be  conveyed  to  New  York  Bay, 
where  it  would  be  liberated  and  restored  to  its 
crews.  The  only  condition  was  that  on  its  re- 
turn to  Pacific  waters  it  must  withdraw  all  men 
it  had  placed  in  the  Philippines  and  Hawaii, 
and  restore  the  American  flag  with  appropriate 
salutes. 

This  then  was  the  end  of  the  great  venture  by 
the  island  across  the  western  sea,  which  had 
staked  its  hope  of  advancement  upon  a  ruthless 
descent  on  an  unprepared  and  apparently  impo- 
tent nation.  It  had  spent  years  in  anticipation, 
had  purchased  the  most  deadly  agents  of  destruc- 
tion whenever  presented,  had  worked  night  and 
day  in  its  navy  yards  to  build  giant  ships  of  war, 
had  covered  the  United  States  with  its  spies  until 
its  espionage  reached  everywhere,  and  all  for 
this! 

Now,  after  all  its  deliberate  plans  and  quick 
action,  it  was  to  accept  as  a  sole  cause  for  jubila- 

337 


THE     VANISHING      FLEETS 

tion  the  return  of  the  men  who  had  manned  its 
mighty  fleet,  and  wait  for  the  return  of  ships  that 
were  useless  for  all  purposes.  Its  dream  of  indem- 
nities was  gone,  its  ambition  for  more  territory 
was  never  to  be  realized,  and  its  hope  of  com- 
peting with  other  great  Powers  as  a  world  factor 
had  come  to  naught. 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  Government  shared  in  the 
joy  of  those  who  had  given  up  for  dead  the  ones 
they  loved  and  were  now  enabled  to  cast  aside  the 
scarfs  of  mourning.  The  Japanese  were  to  learn 
that  one  successful  war  does  not  constitute  a 
series,  and  that  all  nations  were  not  inefficient. 
The  lesson  of  civilization  had  been  hammered 
home  with  sickening  emphasis. 

Scarcely  had  peace  been  concluded  when  the 
administration  by  a  declaration  to  its  own  people 
cut  as  with  one  blow  of  a  knife  a  knot  which 
threatened  financial  panic.  It  was  prefaced  with 
a  statement  that  the  reason  why  no  indemnities 
had  been  demanded  from  Japan  was  because 
under  altered  conditions  following  the  war  it 
would  be  imposing  a  hardship  on  a  nation  already 
stricken,  without  the  need  therefor.  In  substance 
it  stated  that  inasmuch  as  there  would  be  no 
future  appropriations  and  consequently  no  taxa- 
tion for  navies  or  fortifications,  vast  reductions 
would  automatically  be  made  in  the  expense  of 
operating  the  Government.  It  was  also  an- 

338 


PEACE     IS     DECLARED 

nounced  that  as  the  United  States  had  been  pre- 
sented with  the  new  form  of  transportation  by  its 
inventor,  it  had  set  aside  for  him  and  his  heirs  suf- 
ficient royalties  to  render  them  financially  inde- 
pendent, and  that  furthermore  in  the  interest  of 
perpetual  peace  the  secret  of  the  radioplane  would 
be  maintained  inviolable. 

The  railways  of  the  country  would  be  permitted 
to  reorganize  and  continue  as  freight  carriers 
until  such  time  as  their  rates  were  deemed  exor- 
bitant or  their  charters  expired,  the  Government 
abrogating  to  itself  all  passenger  traffic  within  the 
confines  of  its  own  continent,  and  declaring  itself 
a  competitor  for  all  ocean  transportation  under 
tariffs  to  be  formulated.  It  ended  by  asserting 
that  government  ownership  of  aerial  transporta- 
tion was  not  adopted  at  the  behest  of  any  politi- 
cal party,  but  solely  that  the  people  might  derive 
the  benefit  and  the  nation  maintain  its  invulner- 
able power.  Thus  it  was  that  railways  were  still 
permitted  to  exist  and  no  hardship  worked  save 
in  the  readjustments  of  capitalization,  which 
losses  fell  mainly  upon  those  who  had  accumu- 
lated vast  fortunes  by  the  very  inflation  which  was 
now  punctured. 

As  if  to  knit  the  world  together  in  international 
harmony,  the  culmination  came  in  a  message  ad- 
dressed to  all  nations  which  was  penned  by  the 
hand  of  the  President  himself.  It  was  his  pro- 

339 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

posal  for  the  maintenance  of  peace,  and  read  as 
follows : 

"  That  war  and  its  barbarisms  may  for  all  time 
be  done  away  with,  the  United  States  of  America 
submits  that: 

"  By  the  grace  of  God  it  has  been  placed  in  pos- 
session of  such  power  that  it  could  not  only  con- 
quer the  world,  but  destroy  the  inhabitants  of 
other  nations.  This  has  been  fully  demonstrated. 
It  has  no  desire  to  utilize  its  strength  unjustly, 
but  purposes  to  exert  it  for  the  benefit  of  all 
men. 

"  It  considers  territorial  greed  to  be  the  real 
impelling  motive  in  nearly  all  international  wars. 
Therefore  it  requests  that  all  nations  become  sig- 
natory to  an  agreement  in  perpetuity  that  under 
no  circumstances  shall  there  be  any  invasion  of 
the  territory  of  one  country  by  another,  and  that 
all  boundary  lines  shall  remain  as  now  established, 
except  they  be  changed  by  the  mutual  and  ami- 
cable agreement  of  the  adjoining  Powers  to  which 
they  belong. 

"  Questions  involving  national  dignity  can  be 
adjusted  by  better  means  than  war,  as  can  nearly 
all  other  questions  which  from  time  to  time  arise 
between  Governments;  hence  the  United  States 
urges  that  full  powers  of  adjudication  and  arbitra- 
tion be  vested  in  a  standing  commission  repre- 
senting each  nation,  which  shall  have  for  its  seat 

340 


PEACE     IS     DECLARED 

of  office  some  place  upon  which  the  greater  num- 
ber may  agree. 

"  The  United  States,  having  faith  in  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  as  representing  one  of  the  most 
peaceful  and  conservative,  has  formed  an  offen- 
sive and  defensive  alliance  with  Great  Britain, 
through  the  personal  efforts  of  the  King  and  his 
Prime  Minister.  These  two  Governments  have 
no  desire  to  act  as  peace  officers  for  the  world, 
but  pledge  themselves  to  place  all  their  power  at 
the  command  of  the  international  commission  for 
the  enforcement  of  its  findings." 

The  German  Emperor,  true  to  his  promise,  was 
the  first  to  give  official  ratification  to  the  mes- 
sage, and  added  thereto  his  earnest  entreaty  that 
all  Powers  might  speedily  join.  He  offered  an 
eloquent  argument  in  its  behalf,  fortified  by  his 
own  observations,  and  reviewed  the  reasons  why 
Germany  had  previously  declined  disarmament  in 
conferences  at  the  Hague.  His  attitude  was  that 
of  impartiality,  and  no  mention  was  made  of  the 
mooted  questions  between  Great  Britain  and  his 
own  country,  which  were  later  adjusted  satisfac- 
torily through  the  commission,  and  passed  into 
history  as  the  first  dispute  which  that  body  was 
called  upon  to  arbitrate. 

There  followed  a  brief  lapse  of  days,  in  which 
the  other  nations  of  the  earth  studied  this  com- 
munication in  temper  according  to  their  desires. 

23  341 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

It  came  as  an  amazing  document  in  an  epoch 
which  was  uprooting  existing  conditions  and  es- 
tablishing new  ones.  The  underlying  threat  of 
interference  in  any  international  war,  however, 
made  it  patent  that  the  wisest  course  would  be  in 
graceful  acceptance.  Hence  it  was  that  all  prin- 
cipal Governments  bound  themselves  in  the  com- 
pact. The  last  page  had  been  written  in  the 
voluminous  history  of  strife.  The  hissing  of  the 
barb,  the  retching  of  the  catapult,  the  clangor  of 
sword  and  buckler,  and  the  booming  of  cannon, 
which  in  the  course  of  time  had  succeeded  each 
other,  were  sounds  to  be  heard  no  more  on  land 
or  sea.  Peace  had  at  last  assumed  its  tranquil 
dominion. 

When  the  last  acceptance  from  the  most  lag- 
gardly  nation  was  received,  the  news  was  made 
known  to  the  silent  man  in  the  White  House.  It 
was  on  another  night  in  summer  when  the  moon 
cast  its  shadows  over  the  city  and  the  shining 
breast  of  the  river.  Still  alone,  but  now  beloved 
and  understood  by  all  his  countrymen,  he  knelt  by 
an  open  window,  and,  with  a  face  glorified  by  the 
radiance  of  the  night  and  his  thoughts,  thanked 
the  God  who  had  made  him  steadfast  to  accom- 
plish his  desire.  The  President  too  had  reached 
his  goal  of  dreams. 


CHAPTER    XII 

THE    LAST    CRUISE 

'UMMER,  dying,  was  bravely  courte- 
sying  to  its  executioner  Fall.  Over 
the  immense  canons  of  the  moun- 
tainous city  of  New  York  the  after- 
noon sun  was  drawing  the  curtains  of  a  gala  day. 
Triumphal  arches  spanned  the  throbbing  streets, 
and  down  the  fronts  of  the  towering  buildings 
streamed  a  wealth  of  smothering  color  where  the 
flags  of  all  nations  were  intermingled.  Not  within 
its  existence  had  this  city  by  the  sea,  this  maw  of 
the  nation,  entertained  such  gallant  throngs. 

Smart  British  officers  drove  here  and  there  in 
company  with  friends.  Gayly  clad  mandarins 
stared  through  narrow  eyes  at  the  somber  men  of 
Japan;  fez  crowned  Turks  smiled  at  gorgeously 
uniformed  men  from  the  Balkans;  German  offi- 
cers, splendidly  erect,  traversed  the  streets  in 
company  with  soldiers  of  that  other  eagle's  race, 
the  Russians;  Colonials  from  Australia  hobnobbed 
with  men  of  New  Zealand;  and  the  folk  of  Italy 
bowed  gravely  to  the  cavaliers  of  old  Spain,  who 
had  been  watching  a  group  from  that  other  Re- 

343 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

public,  France.  Representatives  of  the  world  had 
assembled,  under  the  pretext  of  witnessing  an  in- 
ternational marriage,  to  pay  deference  to  the  one 
invincible  power.  It  was  in  reality  more  than 
that:  it  was  the  universal  ratification  of  peace,  of 
mutual  disbandment  and  disarmament. 

As  the  day  lengthened  the  city  poured  its 
throng  to  the  shores  of  the  bay,  where  were  as- 
sembled varied  squadrons.  The  time  for  the  de- 
parture of  these  was  at  hand,  and  scurrying 
launches  conveyed  aboard  the  men  whom  they 
had  brought  to  this  alien  wedding.  These  emi- 
nent passengers  were  among  the  comparative 
few  who  had  witnessed  the  ceremony  and  had 
gained  more  than  a  casual  glance  at  the  bride  and 
groom.  Those  other  thousands  had  been  con- 
tented with  a  stare  at  Hillier  and  his  wife  as  they 
rode  in  state  through  the  broader  thoroughfares 
in  the  morning  sunlight,  and  for  details  had  read 
the  newspapers  which,  glorying  in  a  plethora  of 
news,  had  told  them  all. 

Nothing  had  been  neglected,  not  even  the  fact 
that  this  clean  cut  Englishman  had  given  the  best 
that  was  in  him  for  his  country,  and  that  the  calm 
eyed  American  girl  was  the  one  who  had  played 
her  part  in  war  and  was  the  idol  of  her  country- 
men. Already  they  had  published  pictures  of  the 
King  and  President,  who  as  guests  had  stood  side 
by  side,  and  portraits  of  the  most  distinguished 

344 


THE     LAST     CRUISE 

men  of  the  globe  who  had  deferentially  taken 
places  behind  them.  Only  one  thing  was  hidden 
from  the  eager  public,  and  that  was  the  manner 
in  which  they  had  been  reunited. 

Guy,  saddened  and  worn  by  failure,  had  been 
one  of  the  first  to  enter  the  United  States  when 
the  barrier  against  the  world  was  thrown  down, 
and  Norma,  still  yearning  for  his  love,  had  gone 
to  his  arms  as  if  nothing  had  ever  held  them  apart. 
She  was  a  world  figure  now,  and  the  world  was 
at  her  feet.  Behind  him  was  nothing  save  the 
knowledge  of  earnest  endeavor  and  honest  de- 
feat; but  to  her  he  had  been  the  same,  nor  did  she 
anticipate  that  a  King  would  later  take  his  hand 
and  say,  "  Well  done,  even  though  you  failed." 

They  had  passed  the  brief  days  prior  to  the 
ceremony  in  dread,  courting  neither  the  display  nor 
the  limelight  into  which  they  were  driven  by  the 
parts  they  had  played.  The  publicity  had  been 
against  their  wishes,  and  the  gifts  of  the  world  in 
which  each  country  vied  afforded  no  pleasure 
equal  to  that  of  being  alone  and  at  rest  with  each 
other.  They  had  seized  the  first  opportunity  after 
the  marriage  to  escape,  leaving  their  destination 
unknown. 

They  had  retreated  to  the  seclusion  of  Atlantic 
Highlands,  where  the  great  beacon  stands  facing 
the  broad  stretch  of  open  sea,  and  where  they 
might  be  removed  from  the  pomp  and  pageantry 

345 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

of  nations.  And  even  as  that  great  embarkation 
took  place  along  the  water  front  of  the  city  which 
loomed  far  behind  them,  they  stood  on  a  cliff  by 
the  ocean  side.  They  had  avoided  the  last  act  in 
the  drama  of  deference,  a  reception  given  to  the 
President  and  the  inventor,  and  were  content  to 
be  left  alone. 

Suddenly  from  the  far  away  bay  came  the  slow, 
sullen  undertone  of  guns  in  salute.  Again  came 
the  thunderous  monotone,  and  then,  emerging 
from  the  distant  haze  into  the  clearer  air,  ap- 
peared a  flight  of  aerial  things  in  orderly  forma- 
tion. The  girl's  hands  clasped  themselves  to- 
gether as  she  watched. 

There  they  were,  twenty  miles  away,  the  ships 
— her  ships — which  she  had  led  out  to  victory  and 
directed  through  the  maze  and  turmoil  of  battle. 
She  stood  silent  and  spellbound  as  they  slowly 
advanced,  and  then  discerned  on  the  waters  be- 
neath them  the  slow  moving  shapes  of  ships  of  the 
sea.  The  radioplanes  were  traversing  the  air  as 
an  escort  above  those  others  in  final  parade.  In 
twin  procession  the  fleets  came  nearer,  embodi- 
ments of  might. 

The  guns  of  Governor's  Island  belched  as  they 
advanced;  then  from  opposite  sides  of  the  channel 
the  voices  of  Forts  Lafayette  and  Hamilton  gave 
greeting  and  farewell.  Onward  they  swept  to 
where  the  colossal  Statue  of  Liberty  held  her 

346 


THE     LAST     CRUISE 

beacon  aloft  in  token  of  a  new  enlightenment  of 
the  world,  and  the  cannon  of  the  sea  fleet  spoke 
for  the  first  time  in  unison,  saluting  as  they  passed 
in  one  terrible  explosion  of  sound  which  reverber- 
ated along  the  shores  and  was  thrown  back  by  the 
echoes.  Here  they  came,  the  dying  gladiators  of 
all  nations,  sailing  out  to  doom! 

Well  in  front  were  the  vanquished  squadrons  of 
Japan,  their  funnels  repaired  for  the  last  cruise 
they  would  ever  make,  but  stripped  of  fighting 
masts.  Back  of  them  came  the  mighty  ships  of 
England,  with  prows  turned  outward  for  their 
final  voyage.  German  cruisers,  graceful  and  well 
manned,  followed;  while  in  their  wakes  could  be 
seen  others  flying  the  banners  of  Italy,  of  France, 
of  Russia,  and  nearly  every  maritime  nation  of  the 
globe.  Flanking  this  assemblage  were  the  ves- 
sels of  the  American  navy,  which  but  a  short  time 
before  had  been  regarded  as  the  country's  bul- 
warks, and  were  now  participating  in  the  last 
review. 

The  science  of  ages,  the  experience  of  all  who 
had  gone  down  to  the  sea,  the  refinement  of  skill 
and  study,  and  the  genius  of  evolution  were  em- 
bodied in  those  metal  sides.  They  represented 
the  wealth  of  nations  collected  through  sweat  and 
blood,  all  poured  out  unstintedly  for  this, — con- 
signment to  the  scrap  heaps  of  a  world  that  had 
abandoned  war.  The  glories  of  past  deeds  o£ 

347 


THE     VANISHING     FLEETS 

valor  would  no  longer  be  emulated  upon  the 
waves.  The  sea  had  been  untenanted  before  man's 
ingenuity  found  a  means  of  breasting  it.  His 
coming  had  left  it  unscarred  and  unimproved.  It 
alone  was  unconquerable,  changeless,  and  heed- 
less. Through  centuries  it  had  scorned  him,  and 
now  it  was  bidding  his  craft  farewell  and  carrying 
his  fleets  for  the  last  time.  No  more  would  its 
wastes  echo  to  his  passing  salute  or  witness  his 
trivial  strainings  for  a  flag.  Only  the  song  of  the 
fisherman  might  henceforth  echo  along  the  shores 
whereon  it  beat.  It  had  outlasted  those  sturdy 
hulls  of  oak  and  steel  that  once  had  dared  its 
force. 

High  above  swept  the  invaders  of  that  new  ter- 
ritory to  which  man  had  at  last  laid  claim  and  was 
to  hold  in  domination  for  his  use.  Blue  as  the 
skies  above  them,  the  radioplanes  hovered  over 
and  bade  farewell  to  the  vanishing  fleets.  In  the 
vanguard  flew  the  Norma,  her  colors  fluttering  in 
the  breeze  of  flight  as  they  had  done  on  that  day 
when  she  swooped  down  through  screaming  shells 
to  wrest  power  from  the  enemy.  Floating  after 
her  moved  the  huge  Roberts,  its  metal  sides 
throwing  back  the  rays  of  the  western  sun.  Close 
behind  in  stately  pursuit  was  Seventeen,  whose 
plates  had  felt  the  biting  force  of  the  dead  Yaku- 
mo's  guns.  And  so  they  came,  bidding  farewell 
to  the  ships  of  an  abandoned  sea.  Small  wonder 

348 


THE     LAST     CRUISE 

that  the  soul  of  the  girl  who  watched  felt  one  in- 
stant's regret  that  she  was  never  again  to  know 
the  exhilaration  of  the  fray!  A  half  smile  of  ten- 
derness parted  her  lips  as  she  thought  that  there 
in  the  air  above  her  were  her  friends  and  compan- 
ions in  arms, — grim  old  fighting  Bevins  with  his 
prayerful  oaths,  good  natured  Brockton  whose 
kindliness  she  knew,  and  studious  little  Jenkins 
whose  imperturbability  equaled  his  steadfast 
bravery. 

Guy,  understanding  and  respecting  the  storm 
of  feeling  which  must  be  hers  at  sight  of  this  pa- 
geantry of  which  she  had  been  such  a  vital  part, 
watched  her  in  silence.  Almost  at  their  feet 
squatted  Fort  Hancock,  whose  guns  were  to  bel- 
low for  the  last  time.  It  too,  like  its  fellow  forts, 
was  of  the  dying.  Like  them  its  bastions  would 
be  abandoned  and  the  men  within  driven  to  ways 
of  peace.  Fortress  and  ship,  garrison  and  crew, 
would  be  no  more.  Crumbling,  untenanted  walls 
left  as  records  of  a  nation's  defense,  and  rotting 
uniforms  relegated  to  garrets,  would  be  all  that 
were  left, — armies  reorganized  and  reduced  for 
police  force  only,  and  sailors  become  fishermen  or 
passing  their  lives  in  other  occupations  and  rem- 
iniscensing  of  the  sea;  swords  rusting  in  scabbards 
and  guns  corroding  in  embrasures,  nothing  more! 

The  last  salute  had  boomed  out.  Lower  and 
lower  flew  the  radioplanes,  till  they  were  close 

349 


TH EVANISHING     FLEETS 

above  the  outgoing  ships.  The  ports  of  the  peace- 
makers opened,  and  from  them  fell  garlands  of 
flowers,  which  fluttered  down  through  the  air  in- 
discriminately upon  the  doomed  craft  and  the 
waves  themselves, — a  tribute  of  peace  from  the 
living  and  wreaths  for  the  dying  gladiators  of 
war. 

Hand  in  hand  Norma  and  Guy  stood  upon  the 
headland  beneath  the  gray  beacon  lights  that 
would  welcome  strange  travelers  from  foreign 
ports  no  more.  Into  the  darkening  skies  of  the 
east  the  fleets  of  the  nations  were  speeding  to  dis- 
solution and  death.  The  long,  steady  swell  of 
the  free  and  unburdened  sea  came  monotonously 
hammering  at  their  feet.  In  silence  they  watched 
the  relics  of  cruel  war  sail  out,  saw  their  hulls  dis- 
appear, saw  the  trails  of  smoke  diverge  as  each 
squadron  sought  its  own  course,  and  then  looked 
into  each  other's  eyes,  reading  therein  nothing 
but  a  promise  of  love  and  serenity.  Their  trou- 
bles had  vanished  as  had  those  fleets  of  the  sea, 
and  life  with  all  its  possibilities  of  accomplishment 
and  contentment  was  before  them.  They  turned 
from  the  great  silent  ocean  and  walked  into  the 
golden  radiance  of  the  sunset  toward  their  home. 

THE   END  (1> 


BY  LLOYD  OSBOURNE. 


Three  Speeds  Forward. 

Uniquely  illustrated  with  full-page  illustrations, 
head  and  tail  pieces  and  many  sketches  by  Karl 
Anderson  and  H.  D.  Williams.  Ornamental  Cloth, 
$1.00. 

"  '  Three  Speeds  Forward '  is  an  amusing  automobile  story  by  Lloyd 
Osbourne,  in  which  the  ostensible  teller  of  what  happened  is  the  girl 
heroine.  A  little  runabout  is  the  important  factor  in  the  love  romance. 
The  book  is  prettily  bound  and  printed  and  is  illustrated." —  Toledo  Blade. 

"  '  Three  Speeds  Forward,'  by  Lloyd  Osbourne,  is  a  very  brief  and 
most  agreeable  novelette  dealing  with  modern  society  and  the  chug- 
chug  wagon." — Philadelphia  Inquirer. 

"The  climax  of  this  story  is  original  and  most  humorous.  The 
action  is  rapid  and  consistent  with  the  subject  in  hand.  Altogether  it  is 
a  most  enjoyable  little  volume,  well  illustrated  and  attractively  bound." 

— Milwaukee  Sentinel. 

11  It  is  a  bright  and  sprightly  little  story,  very  strongly  flavored  with 
gasoline,  but  quite  readable.  It  is  attractively  and  characteristically 
illustrated." — New  York  Times. 

Wild  Justice. 

Illustrated.     Ornamental  Cloth,  $1.50. 

"  Lloyd  Osbourne's  stories  of  the  South  Sea  Islands  are  second  only 
to  Stevenson's  on  the  same  theme.  *  Wild  Justice '  is  a  volume  of  these 
short  stories,  beginning  with  that  strong  and  haunting  tale,  '  The  Rene- 
gade.' These  are  stories  which  will  bear  reading  more  than  once. 
They  have  an  atmosphere  that  it  is  restful  to  breathe,  once  in  a  while, 
to  the  dwellers  in  cities  and  the  toilers  of  these  Northern  lands  where 
life  is  such  a  stern  affair." — Denver  Post. 

"  Mr.  Lloyd  Osbourne's  nine  stories  of  the  South  Sea  Islands  (« Wild 
Justice ')  are  told  with  a  Kiplingesque  vigor,  and  well  illustrate  their 
title.  All  are  eminently  readable — not  overweighted  with  tragedy,  as 
is  the  wont  of  tales  that  deal  with  the  remote  regions  of  the  earth." 

— New  York  Times. 

*'Mr.  Osbourne  in  'Wild  Justice'  has  given  us  a  series  of  stories 
about  the  Samoan  Islands  and  their  islanders  and  their  white  invaders, 
visitors  and  conquerors  which  are  vivid  with  humor  and  pathos." 

—Nti*  York  fferoU. 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY,    NEW    YORK. 


BY   SIR  ARTHUR   CONAN   DOYLE. 

Uniform  Edition.    Each,  I2mo.    doth,  $1.50. 

The  Exploits  of  Brigadier  Gerard. 

A  Romance  of  the  Life  of  a  Typical  Napoleonic  Soldier. 

41  Good  stirring  tales  are  they.  Remind  one  of  those  adventures  indulged 
in  by  '  The  Three  Musketeers.'  Written  with  a  dash  and  swing;  that  here  and 
there  carry  one  away." — New  York  Mail  and  Express. 

Rodney  Stone. 

"  A  notable  and  very  brilliant  work  of  genius." — London  Spectator. 

"  Dr.  Doyle's  novel  is  crowded  with  an  amazing  amount  of  incident  and 
excitement.  ...  He  does  not  write  history,  but  shows  us  the  human  side  of 
his  great  men,  living  and  moving  in  an  atmosphere  charged  with  the  spirit 
of  the  hard-living,  hard-fighting  Anglo-Saxon."— New  York  Critic. 

Round  the  Red  Lamp. 

Being  Facts  and  Fancies  of  Medical  Life. 

"  A  strikingly  realistic  and  decidedly  original  contribution  to  modern  lit- 
erature."— Boston  Saturday  Evening  Gazette. 

The  Stark-Munro  Letters. 

Being  a  Series  of  Twelve  Letters  written  by  STARK-MUN*O,  M.B., 
to  his  friend  and  former  fellow  student,  Herbert  Swanborough,  of  Lowell, 
Massachusetts,  during  the  years  1881-1884. 

"  Cullingworth,  a  much  more  interesting  creation  than  Sherlock  Holmes, 
and  I  pray  Dr.  Doyle  to  give  us  more  of  him." 

—Richard  le  Gallienne  in  the  London  Star. 

A  Duet,  with  an  Occasional  Chorus. 

1 '  Charming  is  the  one  word  to  describe  this  volume  adequately.  Dr.  Doyle's 
crisp  style  and  his  rare  wit  and  refined  humor,  utilized  with  cheerful  art  that  is 
perfect  of  its  kind,  fill  these  chapters  with  joy  and  gladness  for  the  reader." 

—Philadelphia  Press. 

"  Bright,  brave,  simple,  natural,  delicate.  It  is  the  most  artistic  and  most 
original  thing  that  its  author  has  done.  We  can  heartily  recommend  'A  Duet ' 
to  all  classes  of  readers.  It  is  a  good  book  to  put  into  the  hands  of  the  young 
of  either  sex.  It  will  interest  the  general  reader,  and  should  delight  the  critic, 
for  it  is  a  work  of  art.  This  story  taken  with  the  best  of  his  previous  work 
gives  Dr.  Doyle  a  very  high  place  in  modern  letters."— Chicago  Times-Herald. 

Uncle  Bernac. 

A  Romance  of  the  Empire. 

"  Simple,  clear,  and  well-defined.  .  .  .  Spirited  in  movement  all  the  -way 
through.  A  fine  example  of  clear  analytical  force." — Boston  Herald. 

"  From  the  opening  pages  the  clear  and  energetic  telling  of  the  story  never 
falters  and  our  attention  never  flags. " — London  Observer. 

D.     APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW    YORK. 


LOVE,  MYSTERY.  VENICE. 

The  Clock  and  the  Key. 

By  ARTHUR  HENRY  VESEY.  i2mo.  Ornamental 
Cloth,  $1.50. 

This  is  a  tale  of  a  mystery  connected  with  an  old  clock. 
The  lover,  an  American  man  of  means,  is  startled  out  of 
his  sensuous,  inactive  life  in  Venice  by  his  lady-love's  scorn 
for  his  indolence.  She  begs  of  him  to  perform  any  task 
that  will  prove  his  persistence  and  worth.  With  the  charm 
of  Venice  as  a  background,  one  follows  the  adventures  of 
the  lover  endeavoring  to  read  the  puzzling  hints  of  the  old 
clock  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  famous  jewels  of  many 
centuries  ago.  After  following  many  false  clues  the  lover 
ultimately  solves  the  mystery,  triumphs  over  his  rivals,  and 
wins  the  girl. 

AMERICA. 

"  For  an  absorbing  story  it  would  be  hard  to  beat." — Harper's  Weekly. 

ENGLAND. 

"  It  will  hold  the  reader  till  the  last  page."— London  Times. 

SCOTLAND. 

"  It  would  hardly  suffer  by  comparison  with  Poe's  immortal '  Gold  Bug.'  " 
^Glasgow  Herald. 

NORTH. 

"  It  ought  to  make  a  record." — Montreal  Sun. 

SOUTH. 

"It  is  as  fascinating  in  its  way  as  the  Sherlock  Holmes  stories— charming 
--unique." — New  Orleans  Picayune. 

EAST. 

"  Don't  fail  to  get  it."— New  York  Sun. 

WEST. 

"About  the  most  ingeniously  constructed  bit  of  sensational  fiction  that 
ever  made  the  weary  hours  speed."— St.  Paul  Pioneer  Press. 

"If  you  want  a  thrilling  story  of  intrigue  and  mystery,  which  will  cause 
you  to  burn  the  midnight  oil  until  the  last  page  is  finished,  read  '  The  Clock 
and  the  Key.'  "—Milwaukee  Wisconsin. 

"  One  of  the  most  highly  exciting  and  ingenious  stories  we  hare  read  for 
a  long  time  is  '  The  Clock  and  the  Key.'  "—London  Mail. 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY,    NEW    YORK. 


A  GREAT  FRENCH  DETECTIVE'S  ADVENTURES. 

The  Triumphs  of  Eugene  Valmont. 

By  ROBERT  BARR,  author  of  "The  Midst  of 
Alarms,"  etc.     Illustrated.     $  i .50. 

"The  most  marvellous  series  of  detective  adventures 
written  in  many  a  day." — St.  Louis  Republic. 

"Much  more  ingenious  than  the  Sherlock  Holmes 
tales/'— New  York  Sun. 

"Ingenious  and  amusing." — Outlook. 

"  Detective  adventures  and  good  ones,  too,  with  the 
addition  of  an  element  usually  lacking  in  such  stories — 
humor." — Kansas  City  Star. 

"  In  many  respects  far  superior  in  ingenuity  and  vigor 
to  any  one  of  the  many  adventures  of  Sherlock  Holmes." 

— Boston  Transcript. 

"Valmont  is  a  detective  of  an  entirely  new  stripe,  for 
he  doesn't  pose  as  omnipotent,  and  he  tells  of  his  failures 
quite  as  placidly  as  of  his  great  triumphs.  One  gets  to  like 
him  immensely  before  the  book  is  half  over." 

— Cleveland  Leader. 

"  A  delightfully  entertaining  book,  as  different  from  the 
ordinary,  or  extraordinary,  detective  story  as  possible,  and 
is  all  the  more  interesting  for  that  reason." 

— Brooklyn  Eagle. 

D.     APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW     YORK. 


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